Surfbee autonomous surface vehicles (ASV) are designed specifically to work with ADCPs, including the SonTek-RS5 and SonTek-M9, for accurate flow profiling and bathymetry, and can also equip any YSI EXO Sonde for spatial water quality. Collect multi-sensor data with custom payloads for integrated spatially and temporally-aligned data sets.
Autonomous missions are easily completed via the Surfbee app. Tap to set waypoints, adjust speed, and run missions, or return home.
Built-in dual GNSS with heading ensures precise positioning and accurate georeferenced data.
Reliable system design includes steering redundancy, power-efficient motors, and a longrange, weather-resistant transmitter.
Sensor-agnostic platform supports ADCPs like the SonTek-RS5 and M9, and water quality instruments like the YSI EXO Sonde.
Lightweight yet powerful, the inflatable hull is easy to transport and built for fast-moving and challenging water conditions.
Safer deployment reduces time on boats or wading through water while replacing days of manual work with a single mission.
Surfbee is available in two models:
Flow Seeker is the daily driver and workhorse designed for a wide range of gauging sections. It is maneuverable, portable, fast, and can handle tricky situations.
Flow Scout excels in shallow waters with its angled thrusters. It features autonomous lateral movement for exceptional maneuverability in challenging conditions like high winds or slow-moving channels.
Surfbee Accessories
The Flow Sled is a rugged, floating module designed to bolster stability and performance in demanding flow environments. This accessory provides all the benefits of a larger vessel without sacrificing portability or storage convenience.
The Flow Sled is only compatible with the Flow Seeker.
Why survey vehicles are the future
Traditional methods of collecting flow, depth, and water quality data can be dangerous, slow, and costly—requiring crews to wade into hazardous waters, deploy large boats, or accept limited and inconsistent results. Agencies, researchers, and engineers need safer, faster, and more reliable tools for hydrology, bathymetry surveys, and environmental monitoring.
Surfbee vehicles collect accurate discharge, depth, and water quality data while the operator can stay safe working from the shore. Both models can navigate shallow, debris-filled, or hard-to-reach waters where traditional boats can’t go. With precise GPS-guided surveys and integrated sensors, Surfbee ASVs reduce field time and cost while improving data quality, so you can focus on making informed decisions, not battling fieldwork challenges.
The Surfbee Flow Seeker and Flow Scout are versatile, portable surface vehicles designed to tackle a wide range of hydrographic and environmental monitoring applications. Whether you need high-precision mapping and real-time data. Surfbee delivers reliable performance across diverse aquatic environments.
- Improved transects— Precise navigation and positional accuracy, along with intuitive station setup, yield reliable transect repeatability
- Waypoint planning — Create a boundary by driving the boat around or drawing on the map, then adjust the angle and density of your plan
- Remote control — Intuitive driving controls, exceptional maneuverability, and fast speeds make it easy to navigate a range of environments
- Return home — Quickly return to the start position at any time during a mission or if the battery is low
- Position hold — Thrusters make constant adjustments to remain in a precise location without drifting in the current
- Real-time course correction — Adapt to changing flow conditions, ensuring consistency and data quality