Setting a new standard in high resolution subsea mapping

Teledyne Marine is proud to announce the launch of the SeaBat T51-S multibeam echosounder, the latest advancement in the SeaBat T-series. Building on the success of the flagship SeaBat T51-R, the new SeaBat T51-S is designed specifically for subsea applications, enabling deployment on ROVs and AUVs for deep-sea exploration and underwater surveys.

The ‘S’ in SeaBat T51-S stands for Subsea, highlighting its ability to operate at extreme ocean depths of up to 6000 metres. Encased in a pressure-rated housing, the SeaBat T51-S maintains all the superior features of the original SeaBat T51 while offering unmatched versatility for underwater deployment beyond vessel-based operations. Like other SeaBat multibeam systems, the T51-S extends the portfolio’s capability to extreme depths, ensuring it meets the rigorous demands of subsea applications.

The SeaBat T51-S offers a range of key benefits that make it a standout choice for underwater mapping and inspection. It delivers superior data quality with exceptionally clean results and minimal false detections, ensuring highly accurate survey outputs while reducing the need for time-consuming post-processing and manual corrections. The system provides unmatched resolution, producing the sharpest and most detailed seabed imagery available. It is capable of detecting small objects such as cables, rocks, and boulders as small as 0.3 meters, thanks to its finely tuned receiver beamwidth of just 0.25°.

In addition, the SeaBat T51-S features an expanded swath width, offering an impressive 170° coverage at 800 kHz. This allows it to cover significantly larger areas of the seabed in a single pass, increasing operational efficiency and reducing overall survey time. The system also incorporates ultimate automation through advanced features like integrated 'Tracker' technology. This technology automatically adjusts sonar settings in real time, simplifying operation, minimising the need for specialised skills, and enabling the operator to focus on other critical tasks with confidence in the system’s performance.

Pim Kuus, Senior Hydrographer and Product Manager at Teledyne Marine, commented: “The SeaBat T51-R is recognised as the best-in-class multibeam system, so anticipation for the new T51-S has been high. We’re happy we can now meet user demand with a system that delivers the highest-resolution subsea mapping while maintaining exceptional data quality.”

With the introduction of the SeaBat T51-S, Teledyne Marine continues to push the boundaries of sonar technology, enabling scientists, researchers, and commercial operators to achieve unparalleled mapping performance, in a wide range of subsea survey and inspection applications.

SeaBat T51-S will be launched on Teledyne Marine’s stand T7 at Ocean Business 2025. Show visitors can see the SeaBat T51 in action on ASVs at Teledyne Marine’s dockside area (HS02) and during on-water demonstrations aboard CRC GALAXY.  Click here to book an on-water demo session.