Shallow Water Laser Bathymetry: Accomplishments and Applications

Abstract

Airborne Laser Bathymetry (ALB) is a technique primarily aimed at augmenting nautical chart production and bathymetric mapping capability in relatively shallow coastal waters. The potential of water-penetrating airborne laser radar to provide cost effective characterization of underwater topography to depths as great as 50 meters, depending on water clarity, has triggered a number of research and development efforts worldwide over the past three decades. Currently ongoing and aimed at providing operational ALB tools, are the Optech Incorporated "SHOALS" program for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Saab Instruments/Optech Inc. "Hawk Eye" program for both the Swedish Navy and the Swedish Hydrographic Department, and the Royal Australian Navy's "LADS" program. The motivation to develop ALB technique to operational status is primarily two-fold: the speeding up of the surveying tasks that exist under the current mandate of the various hydrographic agencies, and the anticipated, significant savings in the cost-per-unit-area-surveyed.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 12, 2016
Accession Number
AD1003834

Entities

People

  • A. G. Cunningham
  • Gary C. Guenther
  • Mark W. Brooks
  • W. J. Lillycrop

Organizations

  • United States Army Corps of Engineers

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Acquisition
  • Aircrafts
  • Area Coverage
  • Army Corps Of Engineers
  • Data Acquisition
  • Data Processing
  • Detection
  • Detectors
  • Fixed Wing Aircraft
  • Geography
  • High Resolution
  • Laser Beams
  • Laser Radar
  • Lasers
  • Lidar
  • Remote Sensing

Readers

  • Coastal Oceanography
  • European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP).
  • Maritime Combat Support and Expeditionary Logistics.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy