- BIST10012,096-0.19%
- USD49.39+0.05%
- EUR55.30+0.16%
- GOLD4,181.30+1.79%
- INTEREST37.00%-1.00
- BITCOIN81,230-0.42%
- October 15, 202615°
- BIST10012,096-0.19%
- USD49.39+0.05%
- EUR55.30+0.16%
- GOLD4,181.30+1.79%
- INTEREST37.00%-1.00
- BITCOIN81,230-0.42%
- October 15, 202615°
Türkiye’s indigenous sonar is ready for duty as first systems go to AFAD
Five of the six indigenous sonar systems developed by OSTİM Technical University faculty member Metin Balcı and his team have been delivered to AFAD for use in search-and-rescue operations. The system was tested under AFAD coordination at Hirfanlı Dam, Lake Sapanca, Mavi Lake in Ankara and the Aegean Sea.
Metin Balcı, a faculty member in the Department of Computer Engineering at OSTİM Technical University, and his team have developed an indigenous sonar system to detect underwater targets and image the bottom structure. Six sonar systems were produced following approximately two years of research and development supported by KOSGEB.
Five of the devices produced were delivered to AFAD for use in search-and-rescue operations. The sonar was introduced at an exhibition held as part of the UAV-Assisted Search and Rescue Competition organized by AFAD in Samsun.
Tested in different bodies of water
Balcı said the system was tested under AFAD coordination at Hirfanlı Dam, Lake Sapanca, Mavi Lake in Ankara and the Aegean Sea. The tests examined the system’s operation at depths of up to 60 meters.
The sonar can be used to locate vehicles that have fallen into the water and the people inside them, detect underwater contacts and examine the bottom structure. The system can be deployed into the water from behind or beside a boat, where it detects underwater images and contacts and transmits them to the higher-level system.
The system measures two different distances
According to information provided by Balcı, the device can measure its distance both from the seabed and from the water’s surface. This makes it possible to determine the depth of the bottom while also providing data on the locations of underwater targets.
The portable system consists of a computer, an interface box and a battery located inside the boat. The section lowered into the water contains cables and a unit known as the “fish.” This unit weighs 3.5 kilograms in water and 7.3 kilograms in air.
Signal processing takes place in the submerged unit
One of the technology’s notable features is that signal processing and the conversion of analog data into digital data take place in the “fish” unit lowered into the water. The data is transmitted to the boat via an Ethernet cable and relayed to the higher-level system in real time.
Balcı said this method means the system is not limited in terms of depth, adding that the rapid conversion from analog to digital underwater produces sharper, clearer and more accurate images.
Can be used by many institutions
The indigenous sonar can be used by coast guard, gendarmerie, police, municipal and firefighting teams, particularly AFAD. Balcı said the system was produced at a lower cost than foreign-made products in the same class.
Balcı also said that all components other than the transducers lowered into the water are domestically produced, that the system can remain in the water for approximately four to five hours, and that some foreign systems are seven to eight times more expensive. He argued that, compared with foreign systems in the same class, the device was produced at least at half the cost and that its imaging accuracy was comparable to that of high-end, expensive systems.
Stay Updated with The Turkiye Times
Subscribe to be informed about special news, developments and announcements. We will keep you informed.
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy
