SHOALS - Product History

In over 35 years of business, Optech has developed and constructed several airborne laser bathymeter systems, and is recognized as a world leader in this technology. These systems measure shallow coastal water depths (terrain elevation - up to 50 m) for hydrographic charts or to detect mines and other underwater targets (MCM/ASW). These systems enable the rapid and safe collection of a complete project survey, including navigation channels, jetties and adjacent shorelines. Kinematic GPS enables you to rapidly survey entire regions seamlessly across the land/sea interface.

The high area coverage rate, ease of operation and flexibility of Optech's airborne laser bathymeter systems combine for a cost-effective complement to medium-and-deep-water vessel-based surveys. Whether operating as part of an integrated multi-technology effort or independently, Optech's laser bathymeters provide hydrographic charting to International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) Order 1 standards.

SHOALS-3000

• Customer: United States Government
• Purpose: Complete littoral zone surveying and mapping
• Faster bathymetric and topographic lasers
• New hyperspectral camera

SHOALS-1000

• Customer: United States Government
• Purpose: Complete littoral zone surveying and mapping
• World's first airborne laser bathymeter to incorporate a topographic sensor in addition to a bathymetric sensor
• Smaller, faster and lighter than all previous systems

SHOALS-1000

• Customer:  Japan Coast Guard
• Purpose:  Hydrographic applications

HAWKEYE

• Customer:  Swedish Hydrographic Department, Swedish Navy (via Saab Dynamics, local prime contractor)
• Purpose: Hydrographic applications and target detection
• Two systems delivered
• Aircraft:  Boeing Vertol helicopter, Bell helicopter

SHOALS-100

• Customer:  United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
• Purpose: Hydrographic applications, surveys of coastal waters
• Completed hundreds of surveys in US coastal waters and overseas, for wide range of applications
• Operations:  Worldwide
• Aircraft:  Originally Bell 212 helicopter; since 1998 - Twin Otter fixed-wing aircraft
• Operated on behalf of USACE, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and other American government agencies

ALARMS

• Customer:  United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
• Purpose: Mine detection
• During the Gulf War, Optech was selected by the United States government as the only firm capable of developing this system at short notice
• Developed and delivered ALARMS for successful field trials in less than seven months
• Flight-testing verified this technique to be valuable for mine counter-measures
• Aircraft:  Helicopter

FLASH

• Customer:  European government research facility
• Purpose: Detect objects within the water column
• Prototype system

LARSEN 500

• Customer:  Canadian Hydrographic Service
• Purpose:  Surveys of shallow coastal inland waters
• World’s first operational airborne lidar bathymeter system
• Produced data for world’s first nautical chart based on laser soundings
• Operations:  Worldwide
• Aircraft:  Originally DC-3; since configured for fixed-wing aircraft including the DeHavilland Twin Otter and Kingair A90