Online navigation and logging software for hydrographic and positioning work. It drives the survey in real time: sensors are interfaced, positions and depths are computed on the fly, and both the raw messages and the results are stored for later use.

Typical jobs include single-beam and multibeam surveys, lidar on vessel, drone or vehicle, sidescan, dredging (hopper, cutter, excavator, grab) and general onshore or offshore positioning. There is no limit on the number of vehicles or sensors in one setup. Device types include GNSS, attitude, tide/draft/angle/range auxiliaries, SBES/MBES, lidar, sidescan, sub-bottom, USBL and manual layback. Linked objects (excavator boom, pan-and-tilt head) can be solved from relative or absolute encoders so the tool or the transducer is positioned in 3D.

Every incoming telegram is written to a raw log (bwxraw) in its original form, so a full re-decode is possible if the live result is not trusted. Computed positions and bathymetry go to a result file (bwxres). Those files open directly in AutoClean and AutoPatch. Geodesy covers common CRS and geoid models, plus user-defined transforms and an EPSG catalogue. Line planning includes cross-lines, wing lines, KP and CAD import. Views are dockable and multi-monitor (chart, 2D/3D, numeric, alerts). The chart can show AIS, S-57 ENC, CAD, TMS and WMS/WMTS. Configuration can be changed while still online. I/O is serial, TCP or UDP; most common systems have drivers, and custom ASCII/NMEA strings can be defined. Remote displays can run on the bridge or in the office. Export includes ASCII, XTF, S7K, GSF, JSF and raw dump.

On multibeam, NavAQ talks to the usual manufacturers (including Kongsberg EM, Teledyne, R2Sonic, NORBIT) and to interferometric sonars at full sample density. The live engine handles separate TX/RX, full ray tracing, multi-sector and steered beams, multi-detect flags, overlap-quality grids, backscatter and 2D/3D display. Single-beam support includes the main commercial sounders, raw backscatter when the unit provides it, and a minimal three-string setup (position, heading, depth) if that is all that is needed. Lidar is calculated live at high point rates, including several scanners at once, and can run next to the multibeam. Sidescan is displayed and logged, with geo-locator picks and export to XTF/JSF. On unmanned craft, NavAQ can sit on the vehicle or on the remote station; it is light enough for small Windows IoT boxes and can steer via NMEA or send a route over MAVLink.

NavAQ is a standalone BeamworX module, licensed on a yearly subscription. It can be used on its own or together with the other BeamworX tools. Supplied by GBT.