ME120

ME120 is a 2.5-metre carbon-fibre catamaran designed for rivers, lakes, reservoirs, harbours and nearshore survey work. Its 60-kilogram payload capacity accommodates compact multibeam or single-beam echo sounders, RTK GNSS, inertial units, water-quality probes, side-scan sonar and other instruments. A 0.45-metre draft and dual electric thrusters support shallow-water deployment at speeds up to ten knots.

Survey lines can be prepared in OceanAlpha control software or through third-party hydrographic workflows, with cameras and millimetre-wave radar supporting obstacle awareness. Two ME120 vessels were used together off Wanshan Island in November 2019 to collect conductivity, temperature and depth measurements while evaluating networked surface-ocean observation. The vehicle is distinct from OceanAlpha’s smaller SL20 and SL40 survey USVs and from its larger patrol craft.