2 Years. 3 Prototypes. 1 Proven Tow Camera System
We did the hard part, so you don’t have to
It took SubC Imaging two years and three prototypes to build the Tow Camera System. That's extremely detailed R&D that research teams would otherwise have to do themselves: sourcing components, running months of trial-and-error testing, and tying up skilled staff on maintenance instead of research. With the Tow Camera System, your team skips that part entirely.
3 prototypes developed and rigorously tested over 3 years before reaching our customers
One cable that does it all: power, data, and live HD video over a single data cable
40+ hours of recording and thousands of high-resolution stills per deployment
Field-proven from Newfoundland to Antarctica
One of the first prototypes of the Tow Camera System.
An early Tow Camera System rendering.
The third Tow Camera System prototype.
What The Tow Camera System Actually Saves You
Time. Instead of months or years spent designing and troubleshooting your own setup, you deploy a system that's already proven and ready to work.
Money and personnel. DIY tow systems tie up dedicated staff for ongoing development and maintenance. A complete system frees up both budget and skilled hours to go toward the research itself.
A smoother start. Every system includes two hours of design and integration support from SubC's engineering team. No hidden costs, and no confusing installation.
“Cutting our post-survey processing times by at least half, and even more for larger projects. The efficiency it offers is unparalleled.”
Everything is Included
Unlike a DIY system built from separately sourced parts, SubC’s Tow Camera System arrives complete and ready to deploy:
A rugged frame built for harsh ocean conditions
Up to 410m of Kevlar data cable
SubC's Rayfin camera, capable of 80+ hours of video and thousands of high-resolution stills
DVR+ software with a real-time feed and free ongoing updates
Built-in GPS, altitude, tilt, and roll sensor logging
Adjustable LEDs and lasers for precise, consistent data
An optional electric winch for deployment
One Cable Does the Work of Several
Simpler setup. Lower cabling costs. Fewer points of failure. That's what SubC's Boost-Power Comms (BPC) technology delivers: sending power, bidirectional data, and live HD video, plus 1,500kg of tow strength, all over a single data cable instead of a multi-cable setup.
Industry Proven
The Tow Camera System was developed in direct partnership with the Fisheries and Marine Institute and Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans, drawing on published research into seafloor survey methods along the way. It's since been proven to perform on smaller vessels during sea trial testing. What that means for you: the reliability is already built in. You're not the field test.
That same platform has since gone further: a modified Tow Camera System was used in Project Kolossal, deployed in the Southern Ocean off Antarctica, where it helped capture what may be the first-ever footage of a juvenile Colossal Squid in the wild, generating international scientific and media attention.
Designed to Protect the Sites You're Studying
The system uses no active thrusters. Hydrodynamics, buoyancy, a small drag chain, and a clump weight with a built-in altimeter passively hold a consistent distance from the seafloor. For teams working in sensitive habitats or returning to the same monitoring site repeatedly, that means minimal seafloor contact and consistent, comparable footage every time.
Where Teams Are Already Using This System
Originally built for benthic monitoring, the Tow Camera System's reach has grown well beyond that. Teams are using it for fisheries research, archaeological surveys, conservation projects, and even search and rescue- any project that needs consistent, reliable transect imaging of the seafloor.
