Precision flow measurement meets modern software
The Lodestar measures velocity at fixed sites, around the clock. The Voyager profilers measure discharge from a boat, with modern cross-platform software.
Deployment photos from our team's experience across the Asia-Pacific and from Napa, California.
One beam through the depth, around the clock
During a discharge measurement, a hydrographer holds a current meter at one or two depths on each vertical, then moves on. The Lodestar stays at its vertical and reads it cell by cell, from near the bed to near the surface, around the clock: looking up from the bed, or down from the surface.
The Lodestar-B sits on a firm bed that stays clear of silt, and can wear a streamlined weed cover.
The Lodestar-S or -U looks down from a buoy or a float, above silt and a soft bed.
On a wider or irregular river, two or more Lodestars each read their own vertical, and the index rating relates them to the whole channel.
Photos from our team's experience across the Asia-Pacific.
- Profiles the water column, not one level
- Works in shallow water
- No beams to combine
- Measures from the surface, above the silt
- Wears a weed cover on the bed
- A short-range design in a small, 2 W package
A station still needs a water-level sensor and an index rating built from field discharge measurements, which stay the reference.
Send us the channel shape, the depth range and what is mounted there now, and HyFlow will prepare a proposal for your site, weed cover included, drawing on our team's decades of combined deployment experience across the Asia-Pacific.
That experience includes nearly 1,000 flow-measurement stations built on single-beam meters.
Read the series: Measuring canal flow →Acoustic instruments, from rivers to oceans.
The Lodestar stays on site, measuring velocity for index-velocity stations. The dual-frequency Voyager DF9 measures shallow to deep water with one instrument. The portable Voyager TK5-2M takes the same workflow to streams, small rivers, and canals.
Fixed-site acoustic Doppler velocity meter for index-velocity monitoring in rivers and canals. It measures velocity at backwater-affected and tidally influenced sites, looking up from the bed (Lodestar-B) or down from the surface (Lodestar-S or -U).
Dual-frequency flagship profiler with 9 acoustic beams. One instrument for shallow-to-deep measurements. No need to carry multiple profilers.
Portable 2 MHz profiler for streams, small rivers, and canals. The instrument weighs 1.0 kg, and an optional compact float fits in a car trunk.
Real deployments, real conditions
A bridge-based discharge measurement in Napa, California, with the Voyager DF9 on a tethered float.
Modern software for modern instruments
Every Voyager system ships with HyFlow's cross-platform data analysis software, a ground-up redesign of how ADCP data processing should work. Faster workflows, cleaner visualizations, and seamless data export.
Unlike legacy ADCP software that's locked to Windows, HyFlow runs natively on Windows and Linux with a modern interface built for today's research workflows.
From sensor to cloud
One system from the measurement to the record. Every step carries its status.
HyFlow Sensors
Acoustic Doppler velocity meters and current profilers
Desktop Software
Cross-platform data analysis for Windows & Linux
Edge Computing
Processing at the station, where the measurement is made
Cloud Platform
Your measurements and their records, kept in one place
Applications across disciplines
From research expeditions to regulatory compliance, HyFlow instruments cover a wide range of flow measurement work. Each datasheet lists the applications for that instrument.
Oceanography
Current profiling, ocean circulation studies, and coastal process monitoring
River Discharge
Stream gauging, flood monitoring, and water resources assessment
Irrigation & Agriculture
Canal flow measurement, water rights compliance, and deficit irrigation management
Regulatory Compliance
Water measurement reporting and environmental permitting
Renewable Energy
Offshore wind and tidal site characterization with wave and current data
Academic Research
University-grade instrumentation for hydrology and marine science programs
Environmental Monitoring
Long-term ecosystem assessment and environmental impact studies
Vessel-mounted Surveys
Mobile discharge measurements and bathymetric profiling from boats
Acoustic Doppler Current Profiling
The Doppler Effect
Sound frequency changes when source and receiver move relative to each other. The frequency shift is directly proportional to velocity, a principle discovered in 1842 and now the foundation of modern flow measurement.
How ADCPs Work
HyFlow instruments emit acoustic pulses into the water. Particles like sediment, plankton, and air bubbles reflect echoes back. The instrument measures the Doppler shift in these echoes to calculate water velocity at each depth.
Why It Matters
Non-intrusive, no moving parts, simultaneous velocity measurement across the full water column. ADCP technology is the gold standard for streamflow monitoring worldwide.
Built in Silicon Valley for the world's water
HyFlow Inc. is a Silicon Valley based technology company that designs integrated acoustic Doppler instrumentation and data analysis software for streamflow and current measurement. We bring Silicon Valley's engineering culture to an industry that's ready for it: rapid innovation, modern software design, and a relentless focus on user experience.
When you work with HyFlow, you're working directly with the engineers who design, build, and support your instruments. No layers of distribution. No ticket queues. Just direct access to the people who care most about your success.
Integrated Systems
Hardware and software designed together, not bolted on as an afterthought.
Modern Software
Cross-platform, cloud-ready architecture built for today's data workflows.
Direct Support
Founder-led engineering support from the people who designed your instrument, and a 12-month warranty with a written RMA path on every instrument.
Open Standards
Results and reports export in standard formats such as CSV, and the software runs on Windows and Linux.
Ready to explore HyFlow instruments?
Whether you're evaluating instruments for a new project or looking for a better alternative to legacy systems, let's talk.