ULS-500 Developed – Longer Range Underwater Inspection

25 Aug 2011

2G Robotics has expanded our line of underwater laser scanners with the development of the ULS-500. This longer range higher power underwater laser scanner is designed for scanning over larger areas reducing the number of setups required to obtain complete coverage.

ULS-500 Operation

2G Robotics line of underwater laser scanners uses light to capture measurements underwater rather than sound. By using light, a far more detailed and accurate understanding of your subsea asset can be obtained. Based on the same principles of operation as the ULS-100, the ULS-500 uses higher power lasers and is a physically larger system. 2G Robotics ALF technology (Ambient Light Filtering Technology) allows the system to operate in a wide range of environments. With a maximum data capture rate of more than 250,000 points per second, very fast scan speeds can be achieved.

Applications

The high power class 4 laser system is capable of scanning at 3 to 5m and will cut through and filter out a moderate level of silt in the water. The capabilities of the ULS-500 make it ideal to obtain underwater measurements with certainty. The system can be used for:

Offshore Oil Metrology

Pipeline Surveys

Bridge and Dam Inspection

Internal Large Tunnel Inspection

Ship Husbandry and Propeller Inspection

Underwater Archeology

CASE STUDY -

Parks Canada Takes Delivery of ULS-500

Underwater archeologists with Parks Canada have taken delivery of a ULS-500 Underwater Laser Scanner for high detailed inspection. Parks Canada is currently using the ULS-500 for the underwater inspection of a variety of historically significant shipwrecks. The ability of the system to inspect relatively large areas capturing crisp 3D models of the asset is beneficial to Parks Canada for preserving and documenting these wrecks. By comparing multiple scans over time, the underwater archeologists at Parks Canada will be able to assess the deterioration of these shipwrecks. Upon taking delivery of the system, Parks Canada personnel were trained at a testing site with a sunken plane fuselage. The ULS-500 was capable of capturing a very crisp 3D model of the fuselage section, clearly defining not only the shape and dimensions of the windows but also the rivet seams around the windows and between the panels of the plane fuselage.

This level of detail can be useful when assessing any subsea asset where details matter. Whether you are performing an underwater retrofit or wish to collect as built information as a baseline in the event of future damage, the ULS-500 is the most detailed underwater measurement system available.