Triton SeaClass™ is an advanced seabed segmentation/ classification module that automatically characterizes bottom types based on statistical properties of sidescan mosaics or multibeam backscatter data. SeaClass™ is available as an optional module to both of Triton’s mosaicing and mapping software packages, Triton Map™ or the new Triton Perspective™.

SeaClass™ is based on a multi-layer perceptron supervised neural network. The classification procedure consists of two stages: a learning stage and a classification stage. Training is accomplished by the operator selecting areas in the mosaic of differing bottom type (e.g. sand, rock, mud, etc.). Training of the classifier neural network then proceeds through an automated statistical analysis of the selected samples and a characterization of each type. The following classification stage is a completely automated process where the entire mosaic image is segmented into the different classes.

Results of the classification are displayed overlain on the mosaic image with each area colored or optionally with vector/line boundaries around each area. Output from SeaClass can be the DXF boundary vectors or a GeoTIFF mosaic image with the displayed color-coded areas.