Canadian marine technology company Kraken Robotics is launching a synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) service for the global offshore energy market.
Kraken’s commercial services team will have dedicated KATFISH towed SAS systems available for rental starting July 2025.
Kraken’s KATFISH towed SAS debuted as a product seven years ago. Since then, it has been utilized around the world for applications ranging from mine countermeasure operations to critical underwater infrastructure inspection and harbor survey.
The system offers real-time 3 cm by 3 cm resolution with a range of up to 200 meters per side, providing some of the industry’s highest area coverage rates available.
The high resolution of Kraken SAS helps to derisk projects, with the ability to differentiate between manmade and natural contacts and identify small contacts that may be on or near infrastructure.
“While the KATFISH has been used successfully as a service in the defense market for many years, we are pleased to have multiple assets we can introduce to the commercial market.
“SAS offers a significant increase in resolution and range compared to sidescan sonar, and there is already significant interest for applications like pre- and post- offshore construction survey and underwater infrastructure inspection,” said Lynne Adu, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Kraken.
Kraken’s SAS service was recently selected by Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, the UK’s leading technology innovation and research center for offshore renewable energy, to be part of its Launch Academy.
Through Launch Academy, Kraken will be given access to world-class testing and research programs as well as the opportunity to work with industry, academia, and government to position SAS survey services for the offshore wind industry.
With the recent acquisition of 3D at Depth, Kraken Robotics now operates a global offshore services business out of the UK and the US. Kraken global SAS services will operate out of its Aberdeen, U.K. office, where it also provides sub-seabed imaging services using its Sub-Bottom Imager and Acoustic Corer technologies.
