Shallow-water seafloor characterization for high-frequency multibeam echosounder: image segmentation using angular backscatter

Abstract

Sonar images from multibeam echosounders are submitted to various degradations, partly due to the sensor itself: Signal artefacts and corresponding corrections are presented, both for signal processing and for array directivity effects. The corrected image is processed using a segmentation method accounttng for angular variations of backscattering strength, allowing to compensate effects of specular reflection and bathymetry These various points are illustrated by experimental data shown at various processing stages.