Oceanscience Z-Boats
Oceanscience Z-Boats and Q-Boats are remotely operated Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) developed for hydrographic, current-profiling, and environmental measurement work across rivers, lakes, reservoirs, harbors, coastal waters, and other difficult-access locations. The range combines portable hull designs, shore-based control, real-time data access, and configurable sensor integration, allowing survey teams to collect measurements without placing personnel aboard a vessel or relying on bridges, cableways, and other fixed deployment points.
- Q-Boat 1250: Compact, single-operator platform intended for ADCP measurements in streams, slower rivers, sheltered shorelines, and similar shallow-water environments. Its dual-thruster propulsion supports maneuverable, repeatable transects, while the portable design enables deployment at remote sites where larger survey craft may be impractical.
- Q-Boat 1800RP: Larger dual-motor USV developed for river discharge measurement in faster currents and flood conditions. The platform accommodates common ADCPs through an interchangeable sensor well, provides real-time transmission to a shore-based computer, and can also carry selected singlebeam or multibeam echosounders.
- Z-Boat 1250: Lightweight hydrographic USV configured for singlebeam surveying. The craft integrates an echosounder, provides depth and temperature output through NMEA 0183, and uses independently controlled thrusters for operation close to shore and within confined or hard-to-reach survey areas.
- Z-Boat 1800: Configurable shallow-water survey platform supporting singlebeam, multibeam, side-scan sonar, ADCP, and LiDAR integration. Its modular deck and interchangeable sensor well enable different payload arrangements, while optional autonomous operation, onboard logging, GNSS navigation, radio telemetry, and real-time processing support more complex hydrographic campaigns.
- Z-Boat 1800T – Trimble Edition: Shallow-water survey configuration combining an Odom Echotrac E20 singlebeam echosounder with a dual-antenna Trimble BX992 GNSS receiver. The integrated package provides positioning, heading, remote data viewing, and rapid two-person deployment for survey and inspection work in locations that may be difficult to access using conventional boats.
