Oculus multibeam sonar

Overview

Introduction
Installing the multibeam
How to use the multibeam in the Blueye App
How to use the multibeam with the ViewPoint software
Operating the sonar
Troubleshooting
Example videos
User manual
Specifications

1. Introduction

The Oculus M-Series offers single and dual-frequency models, unparalleled image quality in a compact, rugged form factor, and a depth rating of 500 m. The Oculus multibeam sonars from Blueprint Subsea are excellent sensors helping the operator navigate, identify objects and increase situational awareness under the surface. Available models are the M750d, M1200d and M3000d.

The sensors are handy when diving in murky waters, for search and rescue missions, or for jobs where you cannot rely on a camera solely to locate your target of interest.

2. How to install

All guest ports can be used for the Multibeam, although we recommend using GP2 or GP3.

WARNING: Always power off the ROV before connecting or disconnecting external equipment to prevent damage, also when using the Quick Connect.

Video tutorial:

This video shows how to install the Multibeam Oculus sonar. The tutorial also covers how to install multiple payloads at the same time, such as the DVL-A50 and the Newton Gripper.

Video chapters:

00:00 - First steps (goes for all installments)
04:30 - Installing only the Oculus
09:08 - Installing the Oculus + DVL-A50
16:10 - Installing the Oculus + Gripper

Steps:

The Oculus in the removable Blueye multibeam skid. Attach the skid in mount in the front and the back of the drone.

Slide the drone onto the hook mount in front then attach the screw in the back.

Slide the drone into the front mounting bracket, make sure the cables are not pinched.

Attach the back mount by inserting an M5x12 screw and tightening it "hand tight".

Connect the cable to GP1 and attach the cable with a zip tie to the black plastic mount.

Make sure to route the cable in in the grooves of the aluminium plate to the zip tie mount and back again. Adding a zip tie to the left thruster connector makes it easier to get the cable to stay in place.

Cable routing when mounting 3 payloads at the same time:

Oculus_tutorial_still-oculus_gripper_DVL-cables_inside.jpg — Gripper cable in the front, then Y-split (Oculus) and last the DVL cable.

Oculus_tutorial_still-oculus_gripper_DVL-cables_inside - marked.jpg — Gripper = Yellow. Aqua = Y-split (Oculus). White = DVL.

Oculus_tutorial_still-oculus_gripper_DVL-cables_bottom.jpg — Gripper cable in the front, then Y-split (Oculus) and last the DVL cable.

Oculus_tutorial_still-oculus_gripper_DVL-cables_bottom - marked.jpg — Gripper = Yellow. Aqua = Y-split (Oculus). White = DVL.

Oculus_tutorial_still-oculus_gripper_DVL-cables_bottom2.jpg — Gripper cable in the front, then Y-split (Oculus) and last the DVL cable.

Oculus_tutorial_still-oculus_gripper_DVL-cables_bottom2 - marked.jpg — Gripper = Yellow. Aqua = Y-split (Oculus). White = DVL.

Please watch the video tutorial above to see how the cables should be routed for Oculus + DVL and for Oculus + Gripper.

3. How to use the multibeam in the Blueye App

You can now see the live sonar feed in the app while you dive. The view is designed to be more transparent at the bottom to avoid obstructing the camera feed.

You can switch between a large sonar view for better detail and a smaller Picture-in-Picture style to keep the camera feed visible. A dedicated record button for sonar footage is available in the touch control view, and distance measurements between points can be made directly on the sonar feed.

3.1 Interaction controls in the dive view

Double tap the sonar feed to switch between large and small views.
Long press the small sonar window to access settings.
Swipe left or right to change color filters.
Draw measurements directly on the large sonar view.

3.2 Measurement Tools

Drop pins and draw lines anywhere there’s a multibeam view. A pin will tell you the distance from the drone to that point. A line shows the distance between it’s handles.

Long press to start a new measurement. Drag out to create a line or release immediately to drop a pin.
Long press on a handle to drag an existing point.
Drag two handles together to combine them. They can now be dragged together.
Tap on any handle to delete the measurement.

Measurements Galore.png

3.3 Hand controller shortcuts

Controls on the right:

Alt + Right: start/stop the multibeam recording.
Alt + Up: toggle between high and low frequency modes

Controls on the left:

Left/Right: adjust multibeam range
Alt + Left/Right: adjust multibeam gain
Alt + Up/Down: adjust multibeam tilt

3.4 Enhanced Settings

The updated settings menu provides finer control over the multibeam sonar.

You must manually start/stop the multibeam driver from the settings.While streaming to the app, the Oculus Viewer / Tritech Genesis app cannot connect.

The settings menu allows adjustments to gain, range, frequency, and tilt.
More advanced settings include color filters, labels, number of beams, ping rate, gain assist, and bandwidth limits.

Multibeam Observer Mode.png

Multibeam Settings View Palette.png — Select Color Palette

Multibeam Settings View Extra Settings.png — Gain, Ping rate and Bandwidth

Multibeam Settings View Options.png — View Options

3.5 Multiple Observers

Multiple users can now view and control the sonar feed simultaneously, making it possible to set up command centers or dive with a copilot. All connected devices will sync to display the same sonar feed and settings.

This feature can be accessed via Settings > Multibeam > Multibeam Viewer.

3.6 Export recordings & Playback in the multibeam player

You can download your recordings from the media gallery as you would an image or video. Once your dive logs are synced, they will also show the dive log view for easy access.

Sonar recordings are stored in the Multibeam Recordings Gallery.
- Access via Settings > Multibeam > Multibeam Recordings.

Multibeam Media Transfer.png — Transfer videofiles

Multibeam Recordings in Dive Log.png — After sync, go into Dive Details

Multibeam Recordings.png — View all Oculus videos from the dive

Clicking on a recording will open the Multibeam Player. The multibeam player lets you view your downloaded recordings. Some render settings are still adjustable like showing the grid and labels and choosing the colour filter to apply.

You can share multibeam recordings to other devices with options like AirDrop, email, iCloud Drive, Google Drive, etc.
All recordings are stored using a custom *.mbez format.
From this view you can also delete dives you no longer need.

You can export still images and videos from the Multibeam Player. Still images have a transparent background and will include any measurements you draw on the player. They show up in the dive log and can be used in reports.

Videos can be exported at 480p, 540p, 720p and 1080p. Higher resolution increases export time. They are exported with variable framerate to keep them in sync with actual dive times.
On iOS .mov exports are supported, which add a transparent background to the video. This makes composing videos with Picture-in-Picture effect easier.

4. How to use the multibeam with the ViewPoint software

If you are using an older version of the Blueprint software, you need to switch on the surface unit before powering on the drone, which powers the multibeam. Update to the latest software to avoid this issue.

4.1 Powering on the system

Make sure you are running the lastest software version of the ViewPoint, to avoid any issues. For instructions on how to update the Oculus firmware, please see this article.

The issue mentioned below is a known bug in the Oculus firmware that has been fixed. However, if you are still running an older version of the software, follow these instructions: Powering the surface unit before the drone when using the Oculus multibeam is important. Otherwise, the multibeam might not get an IP address, and the software won't be able to discover it. Once the surface unit and drone are fully powered on, connect your Blueye app, then connect a Windows computer or tablet running the Oculus ViewPoint software to the Blueye WiFi. If you accidentally power on the drone first, reboot the drone, and the multibeam should appear in the ViewPoint software.

4.2 Connect to the ViewPoint software

Using the Oculus with a Blueye X3 is very simple. The only requirements are:

A Windows computer connected to the Surface Unit Wi-Fi.
Download the latest ViewPoint software from Blueprint.

Once connected to the Wi-Fi and launching the program, click on the top left icon, as shown in the picture below, then press the small window that appears with the multibeam info.

Open the Oculus ViewPoint software and press the top left corner on the sonar icon.

Once the sonar icon is clicked, you should be able to see the details of your Oculus. Click on the multibeam picture to activate the sonar view.

Once connected, press the settings icon (4) in the bottom left corner and make sure the bandwidth limit is set to all the way down to Min.

Sonar view interface. 1: Range settings, 2: Gain control, 3: Frequency, 4: Settings

Always make sure Min. Bandwidth is set in the settings before diving.

Always make sure Bandwith is set to Min. in the settings before diving.

5. Operating the sonar

The sonar is also integrated with the Blueye system enabling the operator to tilt the vertical sonar angle directly from the Blueye app. You can tilt the multibeam with the volume buttons while in the app. While diving with the app you will also be able to see a sonar tilt icon in the top status bar, showing you the current angle of the multibeam.

tilting the sonar inside the Blueye App menu while diving.

A good rule of thumb when searching the seabed is to use a 10-15 degrees downward facing angle and maintain an altitude above the seabed of 10% of the selected range.

Blueye-Oculus_sonar_illustrations-seabed_mapping-2_2x.png — The altitude should be adjusted according to the range for optimum seabed coverage.

5.1 Frequency and range

Use the low-frequency mode when searching for a target, and once located, switch over to high-frequency mode to get a more detailed view of the target. Remember that high-frequency mode will reduce the viewing angle from 130 to 80 degrees.

The range affects the update rate of the image. The longer the range, the slower the update rate, and increased battery usage, so use it wisely.

Gain control works like a volume controller. If details are hard to see, the gain increases the "volume" of the signal, and details will be clearer. However, this can also saturate the image, making some details disappear.

Low gain vs. high gain. Notice the details get lost if the gain is too high.

5.2 Limitations

The Oculus is a heavy and powerful payload, so the drone will automatically limit the maximum boost to 90% to maintain stability. In terms of power, the maximum boost will slowly decrease as the battery percentage goes down, and when the drone battery gets under 20%, the boost will be disabled to maintain the sonar's power. If the sonar stops working during a dive, it is most likely due to the low drone battery voltage.

6. Troubleshooting

The multibeam is not discovered by the ViewPoint software

The multibeam gets an automatically assigned IP address. If the drone were started long before the surface unit, the multibeam would not get a valid IP address. Try to restart the drone while keeping the surface unit powered. Remember to always turn on your surface unit before the multibeam.

This known bug in the Oculus firmware has been fixed. For instructions on how to update the Oculus firmware, please see this article.

The multibeam stopped working during a dive

If the multibeam stops working during a dive, it is likely due to the drone battery being too low. If the drone has external lights or other power-hungry accessories, it is recommended not to run them at 100% brightness. To re-establish the connection, the drone needs to be restarted.

The drone won't boost

When a Oculus is connected, the boost function is limited during the dive to prevent voltage drops and maintain the drone's stability in the water. Below 20% battery, the boosting functionality is disabled.

7. Example videos

The following videos are demonstrations of the 720im attached to a Blueye X3 drone.

8. User manual

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9. Specifications

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