Long-Range Sonar

A robotic device comprising:

• a processing device;
• a long-range sonar assembly comprising:
• a printed circuit board comprising:
• a local controller operably connected to a processing device and configured to receive instructions from the processing device,
• a transmit potentiometer operably connected to the local controller and configured to produce a first transmit frequency, and
• a receive potentiometer operably connected to the local controller and configured to produce a first receive sensitivity,
• a transducer operably connected to the receive potentiometer, and
• a flared bell configured to house the transducer and the printed circuit board, the flared bell comprising at least a first enclosure for receiving a sub-assembly comprising the printed circuit board and the transducer;
• and
• a transportation mechanism operably connected to the processing device and configured to move the robotic device in various directions in response to instructions from the processing device.

A method of detecting objects with a long-range sonar, the method comprising:

• configuring, via a processing device, a transmit potentiometer operably connected to the processing device to a transmit frequency and a receive potentiometer operably connected to the processing device to a first receive sensitivity;
• transmitting, via a transducer, one or more pulses at the transmit frequency, wherein the first transducer is mounted in a first enclosure such that the one or more pulses are transmitted in a narrow beam;
• receiving, via the first transducer, the one or more pulses as echo pulses having reflected off an object, wherein the echo pulses are received as a narrow beam at the first receive sensitivity;
• detecting, at a local controller operably connected to the first transducer, the echo pulses;
• and
• determining, by a processing device operably connected to the local controller, a position of the object.