• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.225-234
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• 2018

A Multibeam Echo Sounder (MBES) is commonly used for rapid seafloor mapping. We herein present a time-domain integrated system simulation technique for MBES development. The Modeling and Simulation (M&S) modules consist of four parts: sensor array signal transmission, propagation and backscattering modeling in the ocean environment, beamforming of the received signals, and image processing. Also, the simulation employs a ray-theory-based algorithm to correct the reconstructed bathymetry, which has errors due to the refraction caused by the vertical sound velocity profile. The developed M&S technique enables design parameter verification and system parameter optimization for MBES. The framework of this technique can also be potentially used to characterize the seabed properties. Finally, typical seafloor images are presented and discussed.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.717-731
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• 2021

We analyzed the characteristics of the habitat environment for the Seonam study area in Ulsan, the southern shore of the East Sea using bathymetry and seafloor environment data. The depth of the study area ranges from about 0 m to 23 m. In the west of the study area, the water depth is shallow with a gentle slope, and the water depth becomes deeper with a steep slope in the east. Due to the right-lateral strike-slip faults located in the continental margin of the East Sea, the fracture surfaces of the seabed rocks are mainly in the N-S direction, which is similar to the direction of the strike faults. Three seafloor types (conglomeratic-grained sandy, coasre-graiend sandy, fine-grained sandy) and rocky bottom area have been classified according to the analyses of the bathymerty, seafloor image, and surface sediment data. The rocky bottom areas are mainly distributed around Seaoam and in the northern and southern coastal area. But the intermediate zone between Seonam and coastal area has no rocky bottom. This intermediate area is expected to have active sedimentation as seawater way. The sandy sediments are widely distributed throughout the study area. Underwater images and UAV images show that Cnidarians, Brachiopods, Mollusks are mostly dominant in the shallow habitat and various Nacellidae, Mytilidae live on the intertidal zone around Seonam. Annelida and Arthropod are dominant in the sandy sediments. The distribution of marine organism in the study area might be greatly influenced by the seafloor type, the composition and particle size distribution of the seafloor sediments. The analysis of habitat environment mapping with bathymetry, seafloor data and underwater images is supposed to contribute to the study of the structure and function of marine ecosystem.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.3E
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• pp.77-83
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• 2008

In the process of the sonar image textures produced, the orientation and scale factors are very significant. However, most of the related methods ignore the directional information and scale invariance or just pay attention to one of them. To overcome this problem, we apply Gabor wavelet to extract the features of sonar images, which combine the advantages of both the Gabor filter and traditional wavelet function. The mother wavelet is designed with constrained parameters and the optimal parameters will be selected at each orientation, with the help of bandwidth parameters based on the Fisher criterion. The Gabor wavelet can have the properties of both multi-scale and multi-orientation. Based on our experiment, this method is more appropriate than traditional wavelet or single Gabor filter as it provides the better discrimination of the textures and improves the recognition rate effectively. Meanwhile, comparing with other fusion methods, it can reduce the complexity and improve the calculation efficiency.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.41-50
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• 2013

To analyze the distribution pattern of flood sediment deposits near the mouth of Chucheoncheon (river), side scan sonar images and seafloor sediment properties were investigated in the offshore area within about 50 m deep in water. Based on the analysis result of the sonar images, the seafloor of the study area is divided into three areas of basement, sandy-mud, and dispersed flood sediment. The colors of sonar images in each area are represented by dark black, light grey, and greyish black, respectively. The sediment composition in the grey black area shows 33.73% of gravel, 62.88% of sand, 3.37% of silt, and 0.02% of clay. On the other hand, the composition of the light grey area is 10.31% of sand, 56.42% of silt, and 33.27% of clay. Especially the sediment of the grey black area contains the considerable amount of burned plant fragments in black color, which could distinctly be differentiated from those in the offshore. The distribution pattern of the flood sediment deposits suggests that the land-originated detrital sediments seem to be transported from the Chucheon river into offshore along the shore rather than transversely. In conclusion, the longshore current of the study area is probably dominant to affect the spatial distribution of bottom features.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.192-198
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• 2009

Side scan sonar and SBP (sub-bottom profiler) play a very important role in the survey for seafloor imaging and sub-bottom profiling. In this study, we have acquired side scan sonar and SBP data from the artificial reef area. We applied digital image processing techniques to side scan sonar data in order to improve an image quality. For the enhancement of data quality and image resolution, we applied the typical seismic data processing sequence including gain recovery, muting, spectrum analysis, predictive deconvolution, migration to SBP data. We could easily estimate if artificial reef structures were settled properly and their distribution on the seafloor from the integrated interpretation of side scan sonar and SBP data. From the sampling analysis of seabed sediments, texture filtering of side scan sonar data and SBP data interpretation, we could evaluate the sediment type, distribution and thickness of seafloor sediments in detail.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.10a
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• pp.159-160
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• 2011

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.197-205
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• 2014

As computer vision algorithms are developed on a continuous basis, the visual information from vision sensors has been widely used in the context of simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), called visual SLAM, which utilizes relative motion information between images. This research addresses a visual SLAM framework for online localization and mapping in an unstructured seabed environment that can be applied to a low-cost unmanned underwater vehicle equipped with a single monocular camera as a major measurement sensor. Typically, an image motion model with a predefined dimensionality can be corrupted by errors due to the violation of the model assumptions, which may lead to performance degradation of the visual SLAM estimation. To deal with the erroneous image motion model, this study employs a local bundle optimization (LBO) scheme when a closed loop is detected. The results of comparison between visual SLAM estimation with LBO and the other case are presented to validate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.180-184
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• 2004

The purpose of this study is the improvement of a hook for the collection of marine wastes on the seabed, which is connected to the spring device. The performance of the modified hook was tested on the seabed around Wando island. The collection efficiency of the hook was improved especially in the rocky area on the seabed. A experiment in the study area is verified with seafloor images displayed by Side Scan Sonar. The modified hook can be used for the collection of marine wastes with the its less frequent loss in the sea.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.729-742
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• 2020

In this study, we analyze seabottom conditions and characteristics integrated with topographic data, seafloor mosaic, underwater images and orthophoto(drone) of soft-hard bottom area around the Sib-Ri rock in the northern shore of the East Sea(Gyeongpo Beach, Gangneung). We obtained field survey data around the Sib-Ri rock(about 600 m × 600 m). The Sib-Ri rock is formed by two exposed rocks and surrounding reef. The artificial reef zone made by about 200 ~ 300 structures is shown the western area of the Sib-Ri rock. The underwater rock region is extended from the southwestern area of the exposed the Sib-Ri rock with 9 ~ 11 m depth range. The most broad rocky seabottom area is located in the southwestren area of the Sib-Ri rock with 10 ~ 13 m depth range. The study area were classified into 4 types of seabottom environment based on the analysis of bathymetric data, seafloor mosaics, composition of sediments and images(underwater and drone). The underwater rock zones(Type I) are the most distributed area around the Sib-Ri Rock(about 600 m × 600 m). The soft seabottom area made by sediments layer showed 2 types(Type II: gS(gravelly Sand), Type III: S(Sand)) in the areas between underwater rock zones and western part of the Sib-Ri rock(toward Gyeongpo Beach). The artificial reef zone with a lot of structures is located in the western part of the Sib-Ri rock. Marine algae(about 6 species), Phylum porifera(about 2 species), Phylum echinodermata(about 3 species), Phylum mollusca(about 3 species) and Phylum chordata(about 2 species) are dominant faunal group of underwater image analysis area(about 10 m × 10 m) in the northwestern part of the Sib-Ri rock. The habitat of Phylym mollusca(Lottia dorsuosa, Septifer virgatus) and Phylum arthropoda(Pollicipes mitella, Chthamalus challengeri hoek) appears in the intertidal zone of the Sib-Ri rock. And it is possible to estimate the range and distribution of the habitat based on the integrated study of orthphoto(drone) and bathymetry data. The integrated visualization and mapping techniques using seafloor mosaic images, sediments analysis, underwater images, orthophoto(drone) and topographic data can provide and contribute to figure out the seabottom conditions and characteristics in the shore of the East Sea.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.381-388
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to integrate and visualize using mapping techniques based on precise seabed geomorphology, seafloor backscattering images and high-resolution underwater images of the nearshore area around the Dokdo, in the East Sea. We have been obtained the precise topography map using multibeam echosounder system around the nearshore area(~50 m) of the southern part of the Seodo. Side scan sonar survey for analysis seafloor backscattering images was carried out in the same area of topography data. High-resolution underwater images(zone(a), zone(b), zone(c)) were taken in significant habitat scope of the nearshore area of the southern part of the Seodo. Using the results of bathymetry, seafloor backscattering images, high-resolution underwater images, we performed an integrated visualization about the nearshore area of the Dokdo. The integrated visualizing techniques are possible to make the seabed characteristic mapping results of the nearshore area of the Dokdo. The integrated visualization results present more complex and reliable information than separate geological products for seabed environmental mapping study and it is useful to understand the relation between seafloor characteristics and topographic environments of the study area. The integrated visualizing techniques and mapping analysis need to study sustainably and periodically, for effective monitoring of the nearshore ecosystem of the Dokdo.