Patent ID: 7301851

Claim:
A survey system for inspecting hulls of ships comprising: a support structure having a base portion connected at opposite ends to first and second side portions to define an inspection channel in water having a width and depth sufficient to receive and allow passage of a ship during inspection; a sonar mounted on each of said first and second side portions facing upward toward the center of said inspection channel, each sonar transmitting acoustic signals onto the hull of said ship as said ship passes through said inspection channel, receiving reflected acoustic signal portions of said transmitted acoustic signals representative of said hull and objects on said hull, and converting said reflected acoustic signal portions into electromagnetic acousto-signals corresponding to said hull and said objects on said hull; an electro-optic scanning array mounted on said base portion facing upward toward the center of said inspection channel, said array transmitting optical signals onto said hull as said ship passes through said inspection channel, receiving reflected optical signal portions of said transmitted optical signals representative of said hull and objects on said hull, and converting said reflected optical signal portions into electromagnetic opto-signals corresponding to said hull and said objects on said hull; and a control module coupled to each sonar and said array and configured to control each sonar and said array and receive said corresponding electromagnetic acousto-signals and said corresponding electromagnetic opto-signals.