Feature based passive acoustic detection of underwater threats

Rustam Stolkin, Alexander Sutin, Sreeram Radhakrishnan, Michael Bruno, Brian Fullerton, Alexander Ekimov, Michael Raftery

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

48 Scopus citations

Abstract

Stevens Institute of Technology is performing research aimed at determining the acoustical parameters that are necessary for detecting and classifying underwater threats. This paper specifically addresses the problems of passive acoustic detection of small targets in noisy urban river and harbor environments. We describe experiments to determine the acoustic signatures of these threats and the background acoustic noise. Based on these measurements, we present an algorithm for robustly discriminating threat presence from severe acoustic background noise. Measurements of the target's acoustic radiation signal were conducted in the Hudson River. The acoustic noise in the Hudson River was also recorded for various environmental conditions. A useful discriminating feature can be extracted from the acoustic signal of the threat, calculated by detecting packets of multi-spectral high frequency sound which occur repetitively at low frequency intervals. We use experimental data to show how the feature varies with range between the sensor and the detected underwater threat. We also estimate the effective detection range by evaluating this feature for hydrophone signals, recorded in the river both with and without threat presence.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationPhotonics for Port and Harbor Security II
DOIs
StatePublished - 2006
EventPhotonics for Port and Harbor Security II - Kissimmee, FL, United States
Duration: 18 Apr 200619 Apr 2006

Publication series

NameProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume6204
ISSN (Print)0277-786X

Conference

ConferencePhotonics for Port and Harbor Security II
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityKissimmee, FL
Period18/04/0619/04/06

Keywords

  • Acoustics
  • Detection
  • Diver
  • Harbor security
  • Recognition
  • Underwater

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