Evaluating the Benefit of Using Multiple Low-Cost Forward-Looking Sonar Beams for Collision Avoidance in Small AUVs

Christopher Morency,Daniel J. Stilwell,Christopher Morency,Daniel J. Stilwell

We seek to rigorously evaluate the benefit of using a few beams rather than a single beam for a low-cost obstacle avoidance sonar for small AUVs. For a small low-cost AUV, the complexity, cost, and volume required for a multi-beam forward looking sonar are prohibitive. In contrast, a single-beam system is relatively easy to integrate into a small AUV, but does not provide the performance of a mult...