Innovative Hydrophone Arrays for Sound Mapping in Underwater Environments

Sound mapping is a technique to visualize sound using acoustic arrays which could enhance traditional inspection of subsea equipment. The Smart Underwater Sound Imager (SUSI) is a portable planar hydrophone array that offers high-resolution sound mapping, making it a specialized tool for this purpose. By mapping sound, we gain a new perspective on the noise produced by underwater equipment, opening new possibilities for understanding and mitigating its impact. This paper describes the array technology and presents results from field tests and a baseline inspection.