Bathymetric LiDAR Solution for Mapping Waters in High-Relief Areas

The Fugro RAMMS, the world’s smallest and lightest deepwater Airborne Lidar Bathymetry (ALB) system, can now be deployed from vessels using a Schiebel CAMCOPTER S-100 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS). 

Fugro and RAMMS co-developer Areté Associates recently demonstrated this new capability to the U.S. Navy in Florida.

Fugro supported the CAMCOPTER’s Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) demonstration, acquiring vessel-based bathymetry over the test site for validation of the field trial data.

In addition to extended geographic reach, the RAMMS/CAMCOPTER S-100 solution provides significant sustainability gains. With low fuel consumption, high in-air endurance and rapid rate of data collection, the new approach reduces carbon emissions by 98 % compared to large, legacy ALB systems. 

Other benefits include reduced operational risk by eliminating the need for flight crew, and improved feature detection with no limits on data resolution given the system’s ability to hover over areas of interest. 

The RAMMS/CAMCOPTER S-100 solution is designed for mapping waters in high-relief areas, such as canyons and fjords, where crewed, fixed-wing operations can be both difficult and dangerous.

“The ability to safely and efficiently map remote areas of the world is critical to managing the impacts of climate change and sea level rise,” said Mark MacDonald, Hydrography Director for Fugro in the Americas. 

“We’ve had a lot of success using RAMMS to address nearshore and coastal mapping needs in places that can support traditional airborne operations and we are thrilled to now have a truly global solution that can access more remote and challenging locations with a high degree of accuracy and in a safe and environmentally friendly manner.”

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