Impact Subsea continues to advance compact subsea imaging through the ISS360 Imaging Sonar series.
Designed for Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV), the ISS360 range reflects sustained development focused on performance, reliability, and straightforward integration within a compact form factor.
Introduced in 2020, the ISS360 was developed as a modern replacement for traditional mechanical scanning sonars. Over five years of continuous updates, the platform has expanded capability while maintaining suitability for navigation and target identification in low-visibility subsea environments.
Five Years of Technical Development
Launched in March 2020, the ISS360 was engineered to address size, reliability, and performance limitations associated with legacy systems.
Key development milestones include:
2020: Reliability by Design
Adoption of inductive coupling removed the need for slip rings, reducing a common mechanical failure point in scanning sonars.
2021: Deepwater Capability
Introduction of a 6,000-meter-rated model featuring a titanium housing and pressure-compensated components for ultra-deepwater missions.
2022: High-Definition Imaging
Release of the ISS360HD with 1-degree acoustic angular resolution and 2.5-millimeter range resolution, supporting detailed target identification in zero-visibility conditions.
2023: Software Integration
Availability of an open-source Software Development Kit (SDK) via GitHub, enabling direct integration into bespoke AUV software environments.
2024: Interference Reduction
Launch of the Impact Subsea Signalling Scheme, IS³, which combines CHIRP with phase shift modulation and coding to reduce interference when multiple sonars operate in close proximity.
2024: Product Range Expansion
Release of the ISP360 profiling sonar, extending the ISS platform beyond imaging applications.
Integration and Long-Term Support
Impact Subsea provides a free, operating-system-independent, open-source SDK to support custom integration, advanced autonomy, and tailored user interfaces. The ISS360 was also designed as a replacement option for discontinued compact scanning sonars, offering improved performance with reduced mechanical complexity.
To support long-term operation, Impact Subsea provides professional servicing to maintain seal integrity, O-rings, and calibration, alongside ongoing product availability and technical support.
Proven Field Use
The ISS360 has been deployed in demanding subsea operations, including recovery of high-value equipment in near-zero visibility, integration on research AUVs for obstacle avoidance, precision reservoir inspection, and cable touchdown monitoring in offshore environments.
Ben Grant, Managing Director, Impact Subsea, commented, “The ISS360 was designed to be a step-change in the miniature sonar market. Advanced acoustics enable excellent image clarity and by eliminating slip rings and utilising Titanium as standard, we provide a more physically resilient sonar. When combined with our expert service and support, the ISS360 offers a level of longevity and performance that was previously unavailable in a sonar of this size.”
Impact Subsea continues to invest in the ISS360 and ISP360 sonar range, with further developments planned for release later in 2026.
