A team from the Department of Computer Engineering at OSTİM Technical University developed a portable sonar system to locate underwater targets and image the beds of bodies of water with high precision, following nearly two years of research and development supported by the Turkish Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organization, KOSGEB. The team has produced six units so far, five of which were delivered to the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) for use in search-and-rescue operations.
The system was unveiled during an exhibition held in Samsun as part of the drone-supported search-and-rescue competition organized by AFAD. University faculty member Metin Balcı said the idea of developing the sonar began after he saw a foreign-made device at an exhibition organized by AFAD in Ankara in 2023, after which the team moved on to designing its own system.
Tests in Different Aquatic Environments
The team tested the system under AFAD’s coordination at Hirfanlı Dam, Lake Sapanca, and Mavi Göl in Ankara, as well as in the Aegean Sea. The sonar can detect objects, or what the team described as “contacts,” located underwater, while also showing the nature of the bed. Balcı explained that the system can be used to search for a vehicle that has fallen into the water or for people inside it, as well as to examine the beds of bodies of water when research or surveying operations are required.
The system was tested at depths of up to 60 meters. It also measures the distance between the sensing unit and the seabed or lakebed, as well as the distance between the unit and the water’s surface, making it possible to determine the depth of the bed directly.
What Makes the Design Practical?
The part located inside the boat consists of a computer, an interface box, and a battery, while the part lowered into the water contains cables and a unit known as the “fish.” This unit weighs 3.5 kilograms in water and 7.3 kilograms in air, and it can remain in the water for approximately four to five hours.
The system performs signal processing, including conversion from analog to digital signals, inside the submerged unit rather than in the boat. Data is transmitted to the surface in real time via an Ethernet cable. According to Balcı’s explanation, this design allows the unit to be lowered to different depths and helps produce clearer and more accurate images and data because digital conversion is performed underwater within a short time.
Beneficiaries and Cost
Balcı said the sonar can be used by AFAD, the Coast Guard, the gendarmerie, the police, municipalities, and firefighting teams. He added that all of the system’s components are locally produced except for the acoustic transducers (Transducers), and that the device costs less than foreign systems in the same category. He said the team estimates that its performance is at least twice as good and its cost at least half that of some foreign alternatives, while other systems are seven or eight times more expensive, emphasizing that its imaging sensitivity is comparable to those systems.
Why Does This Development Matter?
The main practical benefit is the provision of a portable tool that can be operated from a boat and transmit its data directly to the surface, supporting searches for objects or people in the water and examinations of the bed. However, the figures concerning performance and price advantages cited here are estimates provided by the system’s developer; the material did not mention independent comparison results or commercial details about when it would be introduced on a wider scale.