UAV Passive Acoustic Detection

Alexander Sedunov, Hady Salloum, Alexander Sutin, Nikolay Sedunov

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

25 Scopus citations

Abstract

The proliferation of low-cost consumer Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) has enabled their potential nefarious use or negligent misuse, including intrusion into airspace used by emergency services or civilian aircraft, unauthorized surveillance, and delivery of harmful payloads. Passive acoustic sensors may permit the creation of low-cost means of detecting and localizing the unwanted UAV traffic. Experiments were conducted to characterize the emitted noise of UAVs of various sizes in an anechoic chamber while airborne and demonstrate the processing required to detect and find the direction toward the sound. An array of microphones arranged in two circular tiers, each with a radius of 1 meter, separated by 1.6 meters vertically was used for data collection in the tests at a local airport. Algorithms based on Generalized Cross-Correlation (GCC) were applied for direction finding including fusing time difference of arrival and steered power response with phase transform (SRP-PHAT). Detection distances of 294 m for the smallest UAS tested were demonstrated. An algorithm for tracking moving sources using microphones separated by about 19 meters was demonstrated, addressing the decorrelation due to the Differential Doppler effect.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2018 IEEE International Symposium on Technologies for Homeland Security, HST 2018
ISBN (Electronic)9781538634431
DOIs
StatePublished - 12 Dec 2018
Event2018 IEEE International Symposium on Technologies for Homeland Security, HST 2018 - Woburn, United States
Duration: 23 Oct 201824 Oct 2018

Publication series

Name2018 IEEE International Symposium on Technologies for Homeland Security, HST 2018

Conference

Conference2018 IEEE International Symposium on Technologies for Homeland Security, HST 2018
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityWoburn
Period23/10/1824/10/18

Keywords

  • Passive acoustics
  • Signal processing
  • UAV

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