Underwater localization system for marine seismic airgun arrays validated through robotics
Abstract
Marine seismic surveys rely on the precise localization of seismic airguns to ensure high-quality data acquisition. The current state-of-the-art systems for airgun localization, such as Ultra-Short Baseline (USBL), Long Baseline (LBL), and GPS-aided and hybrid systems, provide reliable positioning but are often costly, operationally complex or limited to surface tracking. To address these limitations, this research presents a novel, cost-effective, and robust underwater localization system designed explicitly for real-time trajectory tracking of seismic airguns. The proposed system integrates a low-cost Inertial Motion Unit (IMU), an open-source, modular, and low-power acoustic modem, and a depth sensor, employing an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) using Robot Operating System (ROS) for the development of the sensor fusion and localization algorithm. The system achieves a position accuracy within 0.3–2 m, meeting the tolerances required for seismic surveys. Compared to USBL + INS and GPS-aided systems, the proposed system provides comparable precision while significantly reducing deployment complexity and operational costs. Unlike LBL systems, it does not rely on pre-installed seabed transponders, enhancing adaptability to different operational environments. Furthermore, its capacity to operate underwater without surface GPS dependency overcomes the limitations of existing systems in deep-sea or complex acoustic environments. The system is expected to enhance marine seismic…
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