Imaging Sonar

Imaging sonar, which uses sound waves to create images of underwater environments, is a crucial technology for underwater robotics and exploration, with current research focusing on improving image quality and enabling autonomous navigation. This involves developing advanced deep learning techniques, such as self-supervised denoising and neural volume rendering, to overcome challenges like noise and limited visibility, and to improve feature extraction and matching for tasks like bathymetric mapping and SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping). These advancements are significantly impacting underwater robotics by enabling more accurate and robust autonomous navigation, object recognition, and environmental mapping in challenging underwater conditions.