Performance characterization of a small portable uncrewed surface vessel for bathymetry mapping near bridges using a single-beam echosounder

The performance of a commercially available uncrewed surface vessel (USV) was evaluated through extensive testing in several lakes and rivers around Charlotte, North Carolina, USA to assess suitability of the platform to be used by a state transportation agency in various bathymetric mapping applications, including collection of sounding measurements near bridges. A first-person-view (FPV) camera system was integrated onto the vessel to allow surveying in closer proximity to structures. This article reports on the experience gained in operating the USV, including visualization of results from several representative deployments. Data across 41 hours of on-water testing at 10 unique locations is aggregated and analyzed to provide statistics concerning the expected battery consumption, signal quality of the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver with distance from occluding structures, vehicle handling characteristics, and different deployment modes. This article may be useful to transportation agency personnel and other users of USV technology to gain a better understanding of the practical considerations, capabilities, and limitations of a representative small USV with a single-beam echosounder.