PINGMapper

Open-source interface for processing recreation-grade side scan sonar datasets and reproducibly mapping benthic habitat.

Get started now View it on GitHub

---

Overview

PINGMapper is an open-source Python interface for reading and processing side scan sonar datasets and reproducibly mapping benthic habitat features. PINGMapper transforms recreation-grade sonar systems (i.e. fishfinders) into scientific instruments, allowing researchers and citizens alike to reproducibly map their aquatic system with minimal expertise in data processing.

Key Functionality

• PINGVerter - A Python-based convertor for sonar logs collected with consumer-grade fishfinders.
  • 

  • Decode Humminbird® sonar recordings. For more information on Humminbird® recording file formats, read the docs.

  • Decode Lowrance® *.sl2 and *.sl3 files. Lowrance® support made possible by open-source projects including SL3Reader, sonarlight, and Navico (Lowrance, Simrad, B&G) Sonar Log File Format.

  • If it doesn’t work for your Humminbird® or Lowrance® recording, submit an Issue.

• Export all metadata from .DAT, .SON, .sl2, and .sl3 files to .CSV.

• Automatically detect depth (i.e. Zheng et al. 2021) and shadows in side scan channels.

• Correct sonar backscatter with Empiracle Gain Normalization.

• Export un-rectified sonar tiles with water column present (WCP) AND/OR export un-rectified sonograms with water column removed (WCR) using Humminbird depth estimates OR automated depth detections.

• Export speed corrected un-rectified sonograms.

• Smooth and interpolate GPS track points.

• Export georectified WCP (spatially inaccurate due to presence of water column) AND/OR WCR sonar imagery for use in GIS w/wo shadows removed.

• Mosaic georectified sonar imagery.

• Automatically segment and classify substrate patches.

More information on PING-Mapper exports can be found here.

Compatible Sonar Systems

PINGMapper is currently compatible with Humminbird® and Lowrance® side imaging sonar systems. The software has been tested with:

Humminbird® Models:

• 998
• 1198
• 1199
• Helix
• Solix
• Onix
• Apex

Lowrance® File Formats:

• sl2
• sl3

If PINGMapper doesn’t work for your Humminbird® or Lowrance® sonar system, submit an Issue.

Examples

PINGMapper is designed to decode sonar recordings from a Humminbird® like this:

Video made with HumViewer

Export ping attributes from each sonar channel including sonar depth, latitude, longitude, vessel speed & heading, etc., to file for further analysis:

And export georectified mosaics of the sonar imagery and automatically generate substrate maps:

Find out more!

There are several ways you can find out more about PINGMapper. The first of which is this website! You can also check out the manuscripts, Zenodo archives, and release notes below. If you use PINGMapper for your work, please cite the journal articles below.

v1.0.0 (August 29, 2022)

An overview of PINGMapper v1.0.0 functionality and justification are published in AGU’s Earth and Space Science scientific journal.

Journal Article

Bodine, C. S., Buscombe, D., Best, R. J., Redner, J. A., & Kaeser, A. J. (2022). PING-Mapper: Open-source software for automated benthic imaging and mapping using recreation-grade sonar. Earth and Space Science, 9, e2022EA002469. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022EA002469

Preprint

Code

v2.0.0 (July 9, 2024)

A manuscript detailing the automated substrate mapping features made availabe in v2.0.0 is published in AGU’s Journal of Geophysical Research: Machine Learning and Computation.

Journal Article

Bodine, C. S., Buscombe, D., & Hocking, T. D. (2024). Automated river substrate mapping from sonar imagery with machine learning. Journal of Geophysical Research: Machine Learning and Computation, 1, e2024JH000135. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JH000135

Preprint

Code

Segmentation models

Segmentation model training datasets

v3.0 (December 28, 2024) - v4.0 (January 6, 2025)

• PINGVerter - A Python-based convertor for sonar logs collected with consumer-grade fishfinders.
  • Support for Lowrance® *.sl2 and *.sl3 files!
  • Improved mechanism for reading sonar logs, inspired by sonarlight, resulting in ~1.3x speedup when running the Small Dataset Test.
• Sonar log filtering based on heading deviation, speed, and Area of Interest (AOI) shapefile.
• Export coverage and trackline shapefiles.
• Fix bankline export.

See the v3.0.0 release notes for more information

• PINGMapper is a PyPi package
  • 
• PINGInstaller - Light-weight application for installing PING ecosystem (PINGMapper, etc.)
  • 
• PINGWizard - Light-weight interface for running PING ecosystem (PINGMapper, etc.)
  • 

Ready to get started?

Follow the installation and testing instructions to Get Started!

Acknowledgements

v1.0 - 2.0

This study was originally made possible by a partnership between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Northern Arizona University. Funding for this work was provided by the Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group to restore natural resources injured by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The contents of this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or Northern Arizona University.

Primary Developer: Dr. Cameron S. Bodine

Co-Developer: Dr. Daniel Buscombe

Project Collaborators: Thanks to Adam Kaeser (USFWS), Channing St. Aubin (USFWS), Mike Andres (USM), Kasea Price (USM), Alyssa Pagel (USM), Eric Haffey (USM), and Katherine Wright (USM).

Advocates & Early-Adopters: A special thanks to advocates and early-adoptors including, but not limited to, Jennylyn Redner, Adrian Pinchbeck, Art Trembanis, Dan Carlson, Alan Ryon, Mirko Denecke, Dan Haught, Dan Hamill, Mark Lundine, Elizabeth Greenheck, Hendra Kurnia Febriawan, Bryan Bozeman, Paul Grams, Matt Kaplinski, Jess Kozarek, Chris Milliren, Brett Connell and James Parham.

PhD Committee: Cameron wishes to thank his PhD dissertation committee: Toby Hocking, Co-Chair; advisor Dan Buscombe, Co-Chair; Rebecca Best; and Adam Kaeser.

v3.0 - 4.0

Continued support for PINGMapper and tools in the PING Ecosystem is made possible through mentorship, partnerships, and financial support listed below.

PostDoctoral Advisor: Dr. Arthur Trembanis

Lab: Coastal Sediments, Hydrodynamics and Engineering Lab (CSHEL)

Institution: College of Earth, Ocean, & Environment (CEOE) at the University of Delaware

Advocates & Mentors: Vincent Capone - Black Laser Learning

PINGMapper is part of the Doodleverse!

The Doodleverse is an opinionated collection of Python packages designed for geoscientific image segmentation. Find out more on GitHub.