The Underwater Laser Surveying System: A New Concept

Abstract

In January of 1969 under contract to the Naval Civil Engineering Laboratories (NCEL), TRW delivered to Project TEKTITE an underwater surveying system which utilized a portable, pulsed ion, argon gas laser as the reference light source. The intent of the system was to demonstrate the feasibility of conducting standard surveying operations by constructing several different size rectangles on the floor of the ocean and measuring the contours in the area of these rectangles. In addition, the actual location of the laser and the orientation of the rectangular plot was to be accurately located relative to reference points on a shoreline considered inaccessible to the divers. The Underwater Laser Surveying System (ULSS) has successfully met or exceeded all design objectives.