In this synthetic aperture sonar image of the USS Murphy, the gun turrets and tower structure are visible. As a result, synthetic aperture sonar can map a site at 30 times the resolution of traditional side scan sonar. A SAS beam is like a “funnel” that overlaps with itself multiple times to achieve highly detailed images. reach by receiving multiple measurements of a single location at once. Synthetic aperture sonar instead sends out continuous pulses without processing these returns, allowing it to artificially extend the array by combining the returned signals. With a traditional sonar system like side scan, the transducer array sends out an acoustic pulse and waits for it to return before sending out another one. This is why scientists have created an artificial array that increases resolution without changing the physical size of the transducers. Ideally, a larger array would improve the image quality of the sonar, but the average 3.5 to 4.5-meter (12 to 15-foot) AUV cannot handle the size of such an array. Similar to a camera, a larger lens is needed to capture far away subjects in great detail. With traditional side scan sonar, the resolution or quality of the image decreases with distance from the transducer array. Image courtesy of ThayerMahan, Inc., Kraken Robotics, and the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. SAS scan of an unidentified shipwreck off of the coast of Nantucket.
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