Picotech News

July 2021

Introducing the PicoCAT-140

PicoCAT-140: the worlds first one-person-portable USV with a 1/2m receive array aperture (0.4 degree beam width) multibeam echo sounder – the ultra low power, low drag PicoMB-140. PicoCAT-140 is integrated with the new Applanix Corporation POS MV AP+ and Valeport UltraSV and offers exceptional, high resolution multibeam data and huge endurance. Snippets (backscatter) and autopilot are included at no extra cost. Fully supported by BeamworX bv acquisition and processing software.

(above) Raw PicoMB-140 bathymetry and backscatter data (no post processing or cleaning) from PicoCAT-140

May 2021

River Thames Survey

Happy to see our PicoCAT-130-Surf mobilised in central London surveying the River Thames to support Thamescraft Limited Emilia D ploughing operations with Geodesea for Tideway London.

Snippets included for no extra cost with our PicoMB-130, PicoMB-140, PicoMB-Ultra7 and PicoMB-Ultra8 multibeam echo sounders.

Get in touch to find out more!

April 2021

New flight cases, new products…

We were pleased to receive the first clamshell flight cases for PicoCAT this week, ready for customers to receive with their new kit.

Picotech will also soon be releasing a single beam PicoCAT with Echologger single beam echosounder, Emlid Reach RS2 and our state-of-the-art autopilot, PicoPilot. PicoCAT is the only one-person-portable USV with an upgrade path from single beam through high resolution multibeam (PicoMB-130) to ultra-high resolution multibeam (PicoMB-140).

PicoCAT is tough, light and precision molded from HDPE here in the UK, featuring ISO O-ring hatches and switches and connectors on blended coamings for maximum waterproofing.

We’ve also recently updated our PicoPOD-130 flight cases to accomodate integrated LiDAR.

February 2021

Southampton University opt for Picotech Multibeam Sonar USV with BeamworX

Picotech and Geodesea Ltd are proud to announce the delivery of a Picotech Ltd PicoCAT USV with PicoPOD Multibeam sonar payload (PicoMB-130, integrated Applanix POSMV SurfMaster, PC & AutoPilot) to the Environmental Sensing @ Southampton facility at the University of Southampton.

Dr Julian Leyland, Associate Professor in the School of Geography and Environmental Science, and director of [email protected]  said “The PicoCAT and PicoPod setup offer us a unique capability for autonomous survey in riverine and coastal settings. Integration of one of our VLP-16 puck Lidar units on the vessel will further enhance our capabilities and allow coincident above and below water monitoring. The equipment will underpin our world-leading research and teaching which seeks to better understand environmental change in these complex systems. Geodesea and Picotech combined to offer us a bespoke unit and superb support, from ordering to delivery and testing.”

February 2021

New for 2021…

We’re delighted to share a first sneak peek of the world’s most compact, lowest power 0.5 class Multibeam Echosounder – our new PicoMB-140.  The PicoMB-140 will be available later in 2021. We can’t wait to share more!

January 2021

Port of Blyth Choose PicoMB130

The final quarter of 2020 saw Picotech busy in production, with our solutions meeting customers’ needs around the globe and throughout the pandemic.  Our final shipment of the year was to Geodesea who supplied and installed a PicoMB130 Surf to Port of Blyth.  You can read Geodesea’s news story on the installation here.

The fastest growing trust port in the UK, Port of Blyth has developed a significant reputation in the offshore energy sector both in the UK and overseas. Edwin Dick, Port of Blyth Harbour Master, said: “We are delighted with delivery and installation of the new survey equipment which will provide the Port with much needed flexibility in undertaking surveys. The tools now available to us will enable the Port to better plan and conduct our dredge campaigns with greater efficiency.”

August 2020

Picotech Selected for MTR 100

Picotech is delighted to have been selected by Marine Technology Reporter for the MTR100 2020 – a list of the 100 most influential companies representing the most compelling innovations and advances in the international marine technology marketplace.

This is the 15th year Marine Technology Reporter has compiled their list, regarded as a Who’s Who of the industry, and we’re pleased to be in such great company alongside other innovative business all over the world.

Click here to see the magazine, and turn to page 54 to find Picotech!

May 2020

PicoMB-120 in the Arctic

At the end of last year, the PicoMB120 was used by a combined team from the Centre for Coastal and Ocean Mapping at the University of New Hampshire, NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and Stockholm University abord the Swedish icebreaker Oden. Mapping the area around the Ryder glacier, researchers were looking for patterns and causes of historical changes to the glacier. This knowledge can help them understand how the marine cryosphere is affected by climate change.

The PicoMB120 system, fitted on an Echoboat USV, was transported by helicopter and used to get complete maps of the bathymetry of lakes surrounding a fjord which then guided the sampling of their bottoms for climate history. The system was also used to map near-shore areas to find a series of “old beaches” which indicate when sea level changes  have occurred.

April 2020

The New PicoMB-130

We’re pleased to unveil the first pictures of the world’s smallest integrated Multibeam Echosounder – our new PicoMB-130! 

The PicoMB-130’s features are as follows:

• Integrated Multibeam Echosounder, Applanix POS MV GNSS+IMU, acquisition PC, autopilot and SVS in the smallest form factor.
• Rugged fully over-molded digital transducers immune to galvanic corrosion.
• Ultra-low power consumption for long endurance on LiPos. 
• May be pole mounted or installed on man-portable USVs such as PicoCAT or HyDrone.
• 256 beams, 300-400kHz, 1.4 degree beamwidth across track and along track.
• Large SWAP and drag savings over our outgoing PicoMB-120.

We look forward to sharing more photos and information very soon!

April 2020

Introducing the PicoCAT

Here’s a sneak peek of our new PicoCAT man-portable USV for bathymetric survey…

This USV comes with a choice of sensor: Multibeam (PicoPOD-130 or -140 with integral Applanix POS MV) or Singlebeam (Echologger with Trimble, Leica, Topcon).  It is tough, light and precision molded from HDPE here in the UK, featuring ISO O-ring hatches plus switches and connectors on blended coamings for maximum waterproofing.  It uses reliable, proven COTS propulsion and RC -High capacity LiPos as well as having class-leading sensor power consumption for long endurance.  The PicoCAT comes with a free open source autopilot (PicoPilot) and its efficient parametric hull design features stainless fittings and a collapsible frame for easy transportation. Flight cases for the kit are also available.

March 2020

PicoMB getting results for NOAA

The PicoMB120 is the first USV multibeam for production survey being used by NOAA (the US’s National Ocean and Atmostpheric Administration).

NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey have been using the system in areas like the Chesapeake Bay along the Eastern Shore of Maryland. You can find out more about their work here.

Our latest multibeam system, the PicoMB130, will be available in the coming weeks. We’re excited about Picotech products continuing to be chosen by the most well-respected survey agencies all over the world!

Image credit: NOAA

February 2020

PicoPOD Survey Data- the latest images

Our PicoPOD systems, featuring the PicoMB120, have been back out on the water, producing excellent images and data for users. The image on the right shows a flooded quarry in Somerset using PicoPOD mounted on a Hydrone, and below you can see results from a post-dredge survey of an aggregates quarry in the South of England.

We’re looking forward to showcasing more great survey results in 2020 as we roll out the PicoMB130 and the PicoCAT. Watch this space!

December 2019

Picotech Ltd expand to new premises

Picotech Ltd are excited to announce their expansion into new premises just outside the historic town of Kingsbridge, Devon.  Picotech Ltd will occupy a double unit at the recently-built Torr Trade Park on the Torr Quarry industrial estate.

The premises will allow Picotech Ltd to increase production in line with continued expansion of the business and will serve us well as our growth continues. The site sits near the foot of Dartmoor National Park and within easy reach of the Devon coast as well as the university cities of Plymouth and Exeter.

Suppliers and customers will be informed of our new contact details in forthcoming correspondence.

August 2019

BeamworX Software Fully Integrated with PicoMB Multibeam

Last week BeamworX announced they had just finished the NavAQ control interface for the PicoMB multibeam.  It is available in BeamworX Suite 2019.3.

BeamworX is a software engineering and consultancy company located in The Netherlands, specialising in the Hydrographic Surveying and Offshore market. It’s great to have them onboard!