Bathymetry
Map the Seafloor 10× Faster
The Surveyor 240-16 multibeam echosounder and Sounder S500 single-beam deliver affordable, accurate depth data from small uncrewed vehicles - putting professional hydrographic survey within reach of teams of any size.
Two Systems. Every Depth & Vehicle.
From a full 16-channel multibeam for USV survey operations to a compact single-beam for ROV and AUV deployment - Cerulean Sonar covers the full range of bathymetric needs.
The two systems, side by side
One maps a continuous swath of seabed, the other returns a single depth under the vehicle. The choice is usually decided by the boat and the budget rather than by the sonar.
| Surveyor 240-16 MBES | Sounder S500 | |
|---|---|---|
| Best suited to | Swath mapping from a small USV | Depth and altitude on ROVs, AUVs and USVs |
| What it returns | A continuous swath of seabed | One depth point per ping |
| Acoustic frequency | 240 kHz | 500 kHz |
| Across-track beam | 80° | about 5° |
| Maximum range | 100 m | 100+ m |
| Range resolution | up to 1/800th of range setting | 3 mm to 17 m · 9 mm to 50 m · 24 mm beyond 50 m |
| Price | from €4,375 | from €780 |
| Full details → | Full details → |
Full specifications, what is in the box and the common questions are on each product page.
Multibeam · 16-ch
Affordable Multibeam Echosounder for Small USVs
Single-beam or multibeam? Which one your survey actually needs →
Working shallow? Why an angled 3D side scan covers more ground per line than a multibeam →
The Surveyor 240-16 is a 16-channel multibeam echosounder that maps a continuous swath of seabed rather than a line of depth points.
Specifications
- Frequency240 kHz
- Cross-track TX beam80°
- Angular resolution (AoA)1°
- Depth rating300 m
- Detection range≈50 m
Full Surveyor 240-16 MBES details → - 16 specifications, what is in the box, 8 answers
Compact Single-Beam for ROVs, AUVs & ASVs
5° or 25°? How narrow an echosounder beam your ROV or USV actually needs →
The Sounder S500 is a single-beam echosounder for small ROVs, AUVs and USVs, where size, weight and power are the binding constraints.
Specifications
- Frequency500 kHz
- Beam widthabout 5°
- Range0.3–100+ m
- ModulationCHIRP
- Depth rating300 m
- Wet mass50 g
Full Sounder S500 details → - 14 specifications, what is in the box, 7 answers
Single-Beam
Genuine Hydrographic Data
The Surveyor 240-16 produces survey-grade bathymetry you can render, measure, and export to industry-standard processing tools - straight out of SonarView.
Colour-coded depth, geo-referenced over your chart
Sixteen receive channels and an integrated IMU turn each ping into a wide, attitude-corrected swath. SonarView paints the result as a live 3D point cloud over a map overlay, so you can watch coverage build in real time and spot gaps before you leave the site - then export to CSV, GSF or SVLOG for your hydrographic package.
A Boeing 737 on the seabed - mapped by a small USV
In British Columbia, a retired Boeing 737 was deliberately sunk in roughly 25 m of water to create an artificial reef. The entire wreck was surveyed with a BlueBoat USV carrying a Surveyor 240-16 - the kind of job that once demanded a crewed launch and a far more expensive multibeam, now completed by a one-person team from the shore.
- Full-coverage bathymetry of a large structure in a single survey
- Deployed and recovered by hand - no crane, no crewed vessel
- Repeatable: re-run the same lines to track change over time
Where Will You Survey?
Port & Harbour Surveys
Rapid multibeam surveys of port basins, berths, and fairways for dredging assessment, maintenance planning, and regulatory compliance.
Coastal & Shallow Water Mapping
Deploy the Surveyor 240-16 on a BlueBoat USV for safe, efficient shallow-water surveys in areas inaccessible to crewed vessels.
Scientific & Academic Research
Collect repeatable bathymetric datasets for habitat mapping, change detection, and geomorphological research at a budget accessible to universities and research groups.
Inland Waterways & Lakes
Map lakes, reservoirs, rivers, and canals for hydrological studies, flood modelling, and infrastructure assessment using a compact USV-mounted system.
Search & Recovery
Generate accurate bathymetric maps to identify features of interest before ROV deployment - saving time and operational cost.
Renewable Energy
Pre-installation and post-installation seabed surveys for offshore wind, tidal energy, and subsea cable route assessment.
SonarView - Free for All Products
Both the Surveyor 240-16 and Sounder S500 are fully supported by SonarView, Cerulean Sonar's free cross-platform visualization application. Features include live data capture, real-time preview, mission replay, and export to CSV, GSF, and SVLOG formats for import into standard hydrographic software packages.
Learn About SonarView →
One operator, one USV, a full multibeam survey
The Surveyor 240-16 mounts directly to a BlueBoat hull and is carried to the water by one person. No crane, no launch, no survey crew - just hand-deploy, run your lines, and recover. Professional bathymetry, mobilised in minutes.
Designed for Blue Robotics Platforms
Cerulean Sonar products integrate seamlessly with the leading ROV and uncrewed surface vehicle platforms - both of which we carry.
BlueBoat USV
The BlueBoat is the ideal surface platform for the Surveyor 240-16 MBES and Omniscan 450 SS-BB. Build a complete autonomous survey system with sensors and vessel from one supplier.
View BlueBoat →
BlueROV2
The most popular ROV in the world is built for Cerulean Sonar. Mount the Omniscan 450 FS, ROV Locator, or Tracker 650 DVL using purpose-designed brackets. Native ArduSub and BlueOS compatible.
View BlueROV2 →The Surveyor 240-16 in the Field
Footage from Cerulean Sonar walking through the Surveyor 240-16 MBES - the compact multibeam echosounder built to hand-deploy from a BlueBoat and run a full survey.
The Surveyor 240-16 multibeam echosounder - 16-channel survey-grade bathymetry sized for one-operator USV deployment. Source: Cerulean Sonar
Your Cerulean Sonar Partner
We represent Cerulean Sonar worldwide - supplying the Surveyor and Sounder alongside the USV and ROV platforms they survey from, with integration support behind every quote.
Worldwide Supply
Authorised to supply the complete Cerulean Sonar bathymetry range internationally - no regional restrictions.
Sensor + Vessel
Surveyor MBES and the BlueBoat USV from a single partner, specified and cabled to survey together from day one.
Survey-Ready Advice
We help you scope coverage, depth and data-format needs so the system you receive fits your survey workflow.
Quote-Based, No Pressure
Clear EUR quotes with the brackets, adapters and cabling included. Reach us by email or the form below.
Start Mapping Smarter
Tell us about your survey requirements and we will prepare a formal EUR quote with delivery details.
Request Bathymetry Quote
Describe your survey application and we will recommend the right system for your platform and budget.