New Subsea Positioning and Navigation Systems
New subsea positioning and navigation equipment; USBL, LBL, INS, DVL, gyros, transponders and beacons for ROV, AUV and diver tracking. Distributed through Dockstr.
New subsea positioning and navigation equipment through Dockstr’s survey partners; USBL and LBL acoustics, inertial navigation, Doppler velocity logs, gyros, transponders and beacons. Everything on a survey spread is only as good as the position attached to it, and this is the equipment that supplies it.
At a glance
Positioning & Navigation - what the desk handles
USBL, LBL and hybrid
Acoustic architectures scoped against water depth, working area, accuracy requirement and how long the spread stays on location.
Inertial and DVL aiding
INS, DVL, gyro and depth aiding for continuous navigation between or beneath acoustic updates.
Vehicle and diver tracking
ROV, AUV, towed body, structure and diver tracking, including beacons, transponders and release systems.
Calibration built in
Transceiver calibration, offset survey and acceptance procedure scoped into delivery rather than left to the vessel crew.
Buy-side and sell-side
Two sides of the same desk
Buying
Tell us what has to be tracked and to what accuracy; ROV, AUV, towfish, diver, structure or touchdown point. We confirm the acoustic and inertial architecture with the manufacturer and return a package covering transceiver, transponders, INS or DVL aiding, topside software and calibration.
Selling
Two routes in. Positioning manufacturers evaluating distribution coverage across our regions can appoint the desk. Contractors with surplus transceivers, transponder sets or inertial units can route them to the brokerage side; positioning hardware holds value and moves quickly.
In detail
How this segment is distributed
Position is the layer everything else depends on
A multibeam swath, a photogrammetry model or an as-laid cable route is only as defensible as the position attached to it. Positioning is the quiet part of a survey spread that turns sensor data into something a client, a certifying authority or an insurer will accept.
It is also the part most often specified last, which is how spreads end up with an accuracy budget that does not close. The desk works the position architecture at the same time as the sensor package, not after it.
Acoustic transceiver; the reference every other sensor on the spread inherits.
Choosing the acoustic architecture
Ultra-short baseline puts the reference on the vessel and is the default for mobile work; fast to mobilise, one transceiver, accuracy expressed as a percentage of slant range. Long baseline places an array on the seabed and is the answer where a construction or metrology scope demands consistent accuracy over a fixed area for weeks at a time. Hybrid and sparse-array arrangements sit between the two.
Depth, working radius, vessel dynamics, acoustic noise and how long the spread remains on location all drive that decision. So does the calibration effort each architecture demands; an LBL array buys accuracy and costs deployment and box-in time, and the proposal states both.
Inertial navigation and aiding
Acoustics update discretely; inertial navigation runs continuously. Pairing an INS with DVL, depth and acoustic aiding gives an ROV or AUV smooth, high-rate position between updates and keeps it navigating through acoustic dropout, thruster wash and multipath under a structure.
For AUV work the inertial and DVL package is not an accessory, it is the navigation system, and the drift specification decides whether the mission plan holds. We confirm that specification with the manufacturer against your actual mission length and depth profile.
Transponders, beacons and the parts that get lost
Transponders, responders, tracking beacons, release units and their charging and test gear are the consumable end of a positioning spread; they get flooded, dropped and left on the seabed. Spares holding and battery strategy belong in the original order rather than in an urgent enquiry the week before mobilisation.
The desk quotes the transponder count and the spares package against the actual campaign rather than the minimum viable set.
Integration, calibration and acceptance
Transceiver mounting (pole, hull or gondola), offsets, sound velocity, vessel reference frame and topside software integration decide whether the calibration closes. Where the system feeds a DP reference, an as-built deliverable or a construction metrology scope, the acceptance procedure is agreed with the manufacturer up front.
Distribution terms are the same as elsewhere on the New Equipment desk. Factory warranty preserved, commissioning and training through the manufacturer, shipping handled by the OEM, Dockstr as your single commercial point of contact.
Where the brokerage desk fits
Positioning hardware retains value and turns over as contractors change fleet standard. Transceivers, transponder sets and inertial units regularly come to the brokerage side; where a campaign budget or a mobilisation date rules out a new build slot, we can work both markets against the same requirement.
Technical
Positioning architectures compared
USBL
Single vessel-mounted transceiver tracking transponders on vehicles, towfish, divers or structures. Fast to mobilise; accuracy scales with slant range. Default for mobile survey and ROV work.
LBL
Seabed array box-in giving consistent accuracy over a defined area independent of depth. Used for construction, metrology and long-duration field work. Deployment and calibration time is the trade.
Hybrid / sparse LBL
Vessel transceiver combined with a small seabed array. Reduces array deployment while holding accuracy across a working footprint.
INS
Continuous high-rate navigation aided by DVL, depth and acoustics. Carries the vehicle through acoustic dropout and underpins AUV mission navigation.
DVL and gyro
Bottom-lock velocity and heading reference. Essential aiding for INS and for ROV station keeping and auto-heading.
Transponders and beacons
Vehicle, structure and diver-mounted units with release and recovery options. Quantity and spares scoped against campaign duration.
FAQ
Common questions
USBL or LBL for my scope?
USBL suits mobile work where the spread moves and mobilisation speed matters. LBL suits fixed-area construction and metrology scopes where consistent accuracy over weeks justifies deploying and calibrating a seabed array. Deep water, long duration and tight tolerance push towards LBL or a hybrid arrangement; the desk works it through against your water depth and working radius.
What accuracy will I achieve in practice?
USBL accuracy is usually expressed as a percentage of slant range, so it degrades with depth and offset, and real performance depends on transceiver mounting, sound velocity control and calibration quality as much as the hardware. We state the expected envelope for your depth and geometry in the proposal rather than quoting a brochure figure.
Do I need an INS as well as acoustics?
For ROV work in acoustically difficult environments and for any AUV mission, yes. Acoustics update discretely; inertial navigation fills the gaps and holds position through dropout. For shallow, open-water tracking a USBL alone is often sufficient.
Can positioning equipment integrate with my existing acquisition software?
Normally yes; standard interfaces to common navigation and acquisition packages are supported. We confirm the interface and telegram formats with the manufacturer during the proposal so integration is not discovered on mobilisation.
Are there export control considerations?
Some inertial and acoustic products carry export control classifications, particularly for defence end use. The desk raises this at enquiry stage and the manufacturer handles licensing as part of the order.