Preston, Lancashire, UK (November 28, 2016). To increase interest and involvement of people in protecting and improving the Ribble River, the Ribble Rivers Trust recently commissioned a bathymetry survey of a notable section of the riverbed. A robotically controlled 1.2-meter twin-hull shallow draft vessel powered by a twin jet system was used to survey approximately a hectare of the river’s bed. Aboard the vessel was a depth recording sonar and a tracking prism that enabled a Spectra Precision FOCUS 35 total station to lock onto and robotically follow and record the location of the vessel.

Echo soundings from the sonar were transmitted back to a tablet PC ashore via long-range bluetooth and time stamped, while the boat’s position was continuously recorded by a FOCUS 35 total station and sent back to a tablet PC also using long-range bluetooth and time stamped.

The tablet PC ran, 4Site, a program that formatted and processed the data from the sonar and the total station into a DWG drawing. Each point was positioned in real-time on the screen of the tablet, so the operator of the vessel could see gaps in the data in real-time, and navigate the boat back to them to ensure complete coverage.

A mesh of the survey area, a 200-meter section of the 50-meter wide river with the deepest depth 3.5 meters, was created and combined with aerial Lidar information and a topographic survey and provided to the Ribble Rivers Trust for its education outreach efforts.

According to Jack Spees, CEO Ribble Rivers Trust: “The challenge with rivers is that much of the beauty and interest is hidden from view beneath the waters surface, and so we selected a location for a bathymetry survey that is adjacent to a heavily used public footpath, and is thought to have some interesting features.The location is a pool at the confluence of the Rivers Hodder and Ribble, known as Hodder Foot. A famous angler (Hugh Falkus) is said to have declared, ‘If god was an angler he would fish at Hodder Foot’. The confluence of two large rivers such as these leads to interesting river processes that create interesting features. This includes scouring the riverbed to surprising depths. We hope to use the survey to reveal these Hidden Depths on interpretation boards, but also digitally by augmented reality and also video media.”

About the FOCUS35 Robotic Total Station

The Spectra Precision FOCUS 35 is a motorized total station providing high speed, accuracy and precise measurement. The speed of observation and precise positioning of the FOCUS 35 Robotic is provided by patented StepDrive™ motion technology, which controls the horizontal and vertical motion of the motors, eliminating the need for traditional motion locks. The FOCUS 35 includes a tracking sensor that uses LockNGo™ FastTrack tracking technology, enabling the instrument to constantly lock onto the prism.

About Ribble River Trust

The Ribble River Trust was formed in 1997 to restore flora and wildlife of the Ribble River to its former glory. Today the mission of the Ribble RiverTrust is to protect and enhance the water environments of the river’s 900 square mile catchment for the benefit of current and future generations.

About 4Site

4Site is data capture product based on an AutoCADTM DWG engine designed and marketed by Application in CADD Ltd. 4Site removes the tedium of dealing with surveying data captured using total stations and GNNS receivers. In its simplest form 4Site Office allows downloading, formatting and processing of survey data into a drawing.

About the Spectra Precision Brand

Spectra Precision is an established brand known for delivering quality products to the construction market. Focusing on the specific needs of the conventional surveying market, the Spectra Precision brand offers a complete product portfolio including Global Navigation Satellite Systems Geographical Information Systems, optical total stations, data collection hardware, field and office software, as well as a wide range of construction tools. Spectra Precision surveying equipment is an economical choice that utilizes technologies for optimal efficiency. With convenience and reliability as the foundation of the Spectra Precision brand, it is an ideal choice for value. The Spectra Precision brand is backed with the strong technical support that users have come to expect from a quality name in surveying and construction.

Media contact

Emmanuelle Parise-Tarquis
Office: +33 228 093 944
Emmanuelle_Tarquis@spectraprecision.com