EchoNIMBUS-MBES multibeam echosounder payload
Cerulean Surveyor 240-16 multibeam payload for centimetre-accurate drone bathymetry.
The EchoNIMBUS-MBES payload pairs a Cerulean Surveyor 240-16 multibeam echo sounder (MBES) sensor head with a Cerulean Bar30 depth/pressure sensor, a foldable mount and housing, a SkyHub data cable, and a transport case.
Surveyor 240-16 is a 240 kHz MBES with a transmit beam approximately 4° along track and 80° cross track, using a 16-element receive array. It applies an angle-of-arrival estimation algorithm to resolve cross-track location well beyond what conventional beam-forming achieves — resolving angle of arrival to under 1° versus roughly 7° for conventional beamforming.
Depending on range and bottom acoustic properties, Surveyor typically identifies 10–15 acoustic targets across track within an 80° swath, with position and depth calculated from range and angle of arrival. A built-in IMU provides pitch and roll; heading and coordinates for geotagging come from the drone.
Technical
| Sensor | Cerulean Surveyor 240-16 |
| Type | Multibeam echosounder (MBES) |
| Acoustic frequency | 240 kHz |
| Measurement range | 0.5 – 50m |
| Beam width (angle of arrival) | 1° |
| Along-track TX beam width | 4° |
| Cross-track TX beam width | 80° |
| RX array elements | 16 |
| Cross-track beam width (conventional) | 7° |
| Range resolution | 0.5% of range setting |
| Integrated tilt/roll sensor | Yes |
| Integrated temperature sensor | Yes |
Supported drones
| Platforms | DJI M400/M350 RTK/M300 RTK or comparable Pixhawk/Cube-based drones |
Mechanical
| Weight (echo sounder, in air) | 1.8kg incl. foldable mounting |
| Weight (all components, in air) | 2.4kg (sensor, SkyHub, altimeter, housing, cables, mountings) |
What's in the kit
- Cerulean Surveyor 240-16 MBES sensor head
- Cerulean Bar30 depth/pressure sensor
- Foldable mount with housing/fairing for MBES
- Data cable with connector for SkyHub onboard computer
- Transport case