Challenges of Turbid Water in Subsea Inspections
Underwater visibility is one of the biggest challenges in subsea inspections. While clear water demonstrations are common, real-world inspection sites, inland lakes, nearshore environments, or post-storm conditions, often present turbid, low-contrast water filled with suspended particulates. Such conditions reduce image clarity, make feature detection difficult, and can compromise the quality of 3D models when using conventional cameras.
Field Test at Mammoth Lake, Texas
To test performance under realistic conditions, the Voyis team conducted a field exercise at Mammoth Lake in Lake Jackson, Texas. Following heavy rainfall, the water was green and highly turbid, perfect for demonstrating the limits of underwater imaging.
Using the Voyis Discovery Stereo camera mounted on a VideoRay Defender ROV, the team collected survey data of a known dive target, following a full workflow from acquisition to 3D reconstruction.
Why Inspection-Grade Underwater Stereo Cameras Matter
Turbid water challenges stereo correspondence and feature matching, which are essential for accurate 3D modeling. Inspection-grade underwater stereo cameras are designed to overcome these challenges. Their calibrated stereo geometry, controlled lighting, and high-performance sensors maintain consistent, reliable imaging, even in low-visibility water. This engineering margin allows actionable data to be collected where conventional cameras would struggle.
High-quality optics are essential for reliable underwater stereo imaging, especially in turbid conditions. The Voyis Discovery Stereo camera leverages Deep Vision Optics to maximize the full field of view, providing complete situational awareness for ROVs and comprehensive area identification in AUV surveys. Enhanced image sharpness improves feature and target detection, optimizing machine learning performance, while superior corner sharpness strengthens feature tracking for photogrammetry and SLAM applications.
Optimized depth of field allows both close-up and distant features to remain in sharp focus, supporting detailed and comprehensive inspections. Overall, the combination of increased clarity, enhanced depth of field, and reliable feature capture ensures high-quality stereo correspondence and improves 3D reconstruction accuracy, even in low-visibility, particle-filled water. This reduces processing time and manual intervention, delivering actionable results efficiently in challenging environments.
Data acquisition is only part of the equation. Turbid water can introduce uncertainty in navigation, coverage, and dataset completeness. Voyis VSLAM Powered by EIVA NaviSuite provides real-time data validation, coverage assessment, and quality control, allowing operators to identify gaps before leaving the site. This reduces rework, increases confidence in results, and ensures the 3D model accurately represents the inspection target.
Screen shows the standard ROV Camera in real-time
Real-time visualization from the Voyis Discovery Stereo
Reliable Results in Real-World Conditions
Despite the challenging conditions at Mammoth Lake, the deployment produced a coherent and actionable 3D model. This demonstrates that while turbidity cannot be removed from water, inspection-grade underwater stereo cameras deliver reliable performance even in non-ideal environments. For operators conducting subsea inspections, this means less downtime waiting for perfect visibility and more predictable, actionable results.
Inspection-grade technology is not just about achieving high accuracy in ideal conditions — it is about delivering consistent, repeatable results in the environments where inspections actually happen. Turbid water is common in operational settings, and robust underwater stereo cameras ensure projects stay on schedule with confidence in the data collected.
