SPH Engineering and Radar Systems, Inc. have developed the Zond Aero 500 NG, a versatile ground penetrating radar (GPR) system designed for both terrestrial and drone-mounted surveys. This dual-purpose GPR is suitable for various applications, including utility scanning, sinkhole detection, glaciology and geological studies.

The Zond Aero 500 NG features dual-mode operation, allowing users to conduct both ground-based and airborne surveys. This flexibility enhances the data collection methods available to operators. The system includes a center frequency of 500 MHz, an operating bandwidth of 200-900 MHz (-12 dB), a sampling rate of 25,600 samples per second and a scan rate of 50 scans per second. It can achieve depth penetration of up to 4 m in average soil conditions, making it effective for a range of subsurface investigations.

It is designed to deliver high-quality data through advanced electronics and real-time to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio significantly. This improvement enables the detection of finer details and deeper anomalies within the surveyed area. Additionally, the system is compatible with DJI Matrice 300/350 UAVs for airborne applications.

The system’s data is recorded in real time as radiolocation profiles (radargrams), which are stored for further processing and interpretation. The data is saved in the standard geophysical SEGY format (.sgy) with geotagging for each trace to offer accurate analysis and reporting.