Broadband Mine Detection and Classification in Shallow Water
Abstract
Our long-term goal is to advance the development of underwater mine reconnaissance sonar for shallow water environments. Specifically, we wish to increase the range at which classification of mine-like returns can be done successfully (low probability of false alarms) and thus increase the reconnaissance area coverage rate. We also wish to improve the detection of buried mines in sandy bottom environments, and to explore the potential of low frequency and broadband signals not currently used by Mine Countermeasure (MCM) sonar systems to improve the performance of such systems. In moderately shallow water (deeper than the surf zone), sonar signal interference is usually dominated by reverberation rather than by ambient noise, so that new reverberation suppression techniques are needed to improve performance. We combine broadband signals and advanced imaging techniques to achieve robust detection and classification, and operate at relatively low (for MCM) acoustic frequencies to mitigate attenuation and scattering effects of the shallow water environment for increased range of operation. Our objectives are to develop the required algorithms and to test them in a realistic shallow water environment with realistic mines and mine-like targets. We wish to emphasize the sloping sandy bottom environment which will result in substantial multipath interaction with the surface and bottom interfaces, and make detection of buried mines more challenging.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA551199
Entities
People
- David Moore
- Peter Kaczkowski
Organizations
- University of Washington