Echotec HD sonar solves the resolution issue

Echotec Sonar has recently made breakthroughs which have improved sonar image resolution levels by a measurable amount. The company has found a way to bring quality to a level where it is significantly better than the diffraction limit would normally allow. These performance gains are a direct result of the use of high bandwidth technology in a new and unique way. To the operators of the sonar equipment, this yields a much crisper image than they have experienced in the past with standard equipment.

In addition to, and through the use of high bandwidth, Echotec's High Definition Sonar (HDS) is capable of 3-D imaging. This 3-D imaging benefits the operators in that they can determine the depth of the displayed target in addition to knowing its range and bearing.

For commercial fishing, it can assist the ship's captain in the net setting process, as the position of the nets in the water is critical to maximise the catch. 3‑D imaging also would allow the operator to clearly see fish close to the sea bottom. This capability is currently not provided with existing sonars yet is critically important in catching the lucrative near bottom species.

Classic sonar equipment usually contains a low quality acoustic aperture to detect returning sonar responses. The Echotec Sonar technique applies a new and improved computer aided detection and classification algorithm, which improves resolution and allows for a more precise system with a higher probability of detection and classification of the end product.

Phillip Johnson, CEO of Echotec Sonar, commented, "These new techniques in processing underwater signals set us apart, and have allowed us to package the performance usually attributed to much larger systems into a small low cost package which we believe will be affordable to all maritime users. We plan on launching this uniquely featured, new commercial system later this year."