Disclosed is a composite hydrological monitoring system, in which a counterweight component and a test component are respectively connected to both opposite ends of a strip and a plurality of sensors are disposed at different vertical positions. Accordingly, the scour depth can be measured by sensing the location of the counterweight component, whereas the water level and/or flow velocity can be determined by signals from the sensors. When the counterweight component moves downward with sinking of the riverbed, the strip would be pulled down and thus causes the test component to present a change in mechanical energy. Accordingly, the sinking depth can be measured by sensing the change of the mechanical energy. Additionally, since the water level variation would cause signal changes of the sensors arranged in a row along a vertical direction, the change of water level can be determined accordingly.

Dive computers in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed that store information concerning a dive site. The stored information can be accessed during the dive to provide information concerning such things as points of interest and/or hazards. One embodiment of the invention includes a processor, memory connected to the processor, a pressure transducer connected to the processor and configured to measure depth, and a display connected to the processor. In addition, the memory contains factual information concerning a dive site, and the processor is configured to display at least a portion of the stored factual information concerning the dive site via the display.

Techniques for improving overhead image bathymetry include obtaining depth information from image data based on one or more of the spectral domain, the angular domain (e.g., stereo or photogrammetry), the temporal domain (e.g., monitoring the movement of waves in a body of water), or any other suitable domain, together with a priori information about the area of interest. These different pieces of depth information from the various different domains are combined together using any combination of Optimal Estimation and Continuity Constraints to improve the accuracy of the results.

Depth of a top (24) and bottom (28) of an under water mud layer (26) are measured as a function of position from acoustical scattering measurement. The measurement involves transmitting sound from a transmitter (12) in a body of water (22) above the mud layer (26), using a higher and lower frequency range, above 100 kHz and below 20 kHz respectively. A higher frequency signal due to scattering of the sound in the higher frequency range from scatter positions along a selected horizontal direction is detected as a function of time from said transmitting, and a first depth, of a top surface (24) of the under water mud layer (26), is computed using this signal. A plurality of received lower frequency signals due to scattering of the sound in the lower frequency range is detected at different height in the body of water (22). A time shift as a function of time between temporal parts of the plurality of received lower frequency signals is determined in the plurality of received lower frequency signals, and a second depth of a bottom surface (28) of the under water mud layer is computed based on the time shifts.

Through discrimination of the scattered signal polarization state, a lidar system measures a distance through semi-transparent media by the reception of single or multiple scattered signals from a scattering medium. Combined and overlapped single or multiple scattered light signals from the medium can be separated by exploiting varying polarization characteristics. This removes the traditional laser and detector pulse width limitations that determine the system's operational bandwidth, translating relative depth measurements into the conditions of two surface timing measurements and achieving sub-pulse width resolution.

A system for controlling a marine vessel has a sonar depth finder which displays a chart, stored in memory, for a body of water. The chart includes an underwater feature contour that defines a boundary of an underwater feature. The sonar depth finder includes a processor to create or update the topographical chart based on sonar data from a sonar transducer assembly. The sonar data includes information on the underwater feature. The processor can display and store the topographical chart. The user may select from the underwater feature contours on the depth finder display. The depth finder can generate a route for the marine vessel that includes a path along the selected underwater feature contours. A vessel control device, in communication with the depth finder, may receive transmissions, from the depth finder, which include the generated route. The vessel control device can automatically direct the marine vessel along the route.

A detection system for detecting underwater conditions according to an embodiment or embodiments may include an aerial vehicle and a suspended device suspended from the aerial vehicle, wherein the suspended device includes a detecting section that performs an underwater detection operation, and a position information acquisition section that acquires position information.

The instant innovation presents a real-time environmental-sensing platform and system and method for water level monitoring, reporting and human warning. The platform, system, and method monitors rising water levels throughout a given geographical area and provides real-time and trending data on flooding and flooding risks. The instant innovation utilizes an environmental sensing platform comprised of a plurality of sensor nodes that may be geographically dispersed for both collecting environmental data on a regular or variable-frequency schedule, and transmitting the environmental data. The instant innovation further utilizes one or more wireless communication protocols configured to receive and transmit the environmental data, a cloud platform configured to receive, store, analyze and support real-time stream processing of the environmental data and generating environmental data reports thereof, and an external device for receiving, relaying and/or displaying report and alert information received from the cloud platform.

An apparatus for artificial intelligence (AI) bathymetry is disclosed. The apparatus includes a sonic unit attached to a boat, the sonic unit configured to generate a plurality of metric data as a function of a plurality of ultrasonic pulses and a plurality of return pulses. An image processing module is configured to generate a bathymetric image as a function of the plurality of metric data, identify, as a function of the bathymetric image, an underwater landmark, and register the bathymetric image to a map location as a function of the underwater landmark. A communication module is configured to transmit the registered bathymetric image to at least a computing device. An autonomous navigation module is configured to determine a heading for the boat as a function of a path datum and command boat control to navigate the boat as a function of the heading.

Through discrimination of the scattered signal polarization state, a lidar system measures a distance through semi-transparent media by the reception of single or multiple scattered signals from a scattering medium. Combined and overlapped single or multiple scattered light signals from the medium can be separated by exploiting varying polarization characteristics. This removes the traditional laser and detector pulse width limitations that determine the system's operational bandwidth, translating relative depth measurements into the conditions of two surface timing measurements and achieving sub-pulse width resolution.