eRTIS

What once seemed like a distant vision has now become a tangible reality. In collaboration with the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, CoSys-Lab has developed advanced 3D sonar sensors that enable automated navigation for inland shipping. Remarkably, this cutting-edge technology grew out of a fascination with how bats perceive their environment—transforming biological inspiration into a practical, real-world solution.

Through eRTIS (embedded Real-Time Imaging Sonar), CoSys-Lab leverages its world-leading expertise in innovative sonar technology to support industrial partners. For the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, this technology plays a key role in the development of unmanned vessels. As liaison officer Svetlana Samonova explains: “Unmanned vessels can lead to substantial cost savings, while also helping to address increasing traffic congestion and the rising costs of road transport. Smart vessels clearly have an important role to play in the multimodal transport strategy the Port of Antwerp aims to further develop.”

At the heart of this innovation is Prof. Jan Steckel of CoSys-Lab, a research group within UAntwerp’s Faculty of Applied Engineering. His team develops advanced sensor systems designed to operate reliably under harsh conditions. “To achieve fully autonomous navigation, continuous monitoring of a vessel’s surroundings is absolutely essential,” Steckel explains. “Cameras can be used, but in poor visibility—caused by dust, water spray, mud, smoke, or fog—they quickly become ineffective.”

Sonar sensors, by contrast, remain fully operational in such conditions and offer a reliable, cost-effective way to map a vessel’s environment. “Our inspiration came from bat echolocation,” says Steckel. “Bats emit sound waves and interpret the echoes that return after hitting objects, allowing them to navigate and avoid obstacles with remarkable precision.”

For the Port of Antwerp-Bruges project, the team developed a 3D sonar sensor equipped with 32 advanced waterproof microphones. The system operates in real time—an essential requirement, as even minimal delays could result in collisions. The ‘imaging sonar’ component refers to how reflected sound waves are processed to generate a detailed, three-dimensional view of the surroundings.

In the final weeks of 2020, the technology was successfully tested aboard the Tuimelaar, one of the Port of Antwerp’s test vessels. A follow-up project launched in 2021, when the Port gave the green light—through its Smart Docking Innovation Challenge—to Prof. Steckel’s 3D Sonar and LiDAR for Vessel Monitoring project.

CoSys-Lab’s expertise in sonar technology extends far beyond maritime applications. The researchers are also exploring use cases in sectors such as mining, where autonomous trucks equipped with sonar sensors could safely navigate between locations. Check out the video below to see eRTIS in live-action.