Broadband Navigation Sonar Demonstration Testbed
Abstract
Approach:The Broadband Navigation Sonar Demonstration Testbed will provide ARL/PSU the capability of collecting velocity and bathymetry sonar data while simultaneously and synchronously collecting ground truth position, velocity, and attitude data. This integrated solution enables the direct comparison of sonar results to the ground truth results. This convenient comparisonenables trade studies for the Navy to be evaluated efficiently in order to determine what technologies are ready for further testing and eventual transition. Figure 4 shows such a comparison. The black line represents the ground truth derived from the GPS-aided IxBlue PhinsINS, and the colored plots depict CVL sonar cycle speed estimates. These measurements would be subtracted to create speed error estimates that drive trade studies and are compared to current system specifications. Currently, the sonar velocity data is of such high quality that it has better precision than GPS derived velocity. The GPS-aided IxBlue Phins inertial navigation system (INS) provides the best commercially available reasonably priced velocity ground truth and is a critical part of this approach. The technical risk surrounding this equipment is very low as ARL/PSU has alreadyintegrated a borrowed IxBlue Phins on the Sound Hunter. ARL/PSU has also integrated the othermajor subsystems onto the Sound Hunter including the Ashtech GPS equipment, National Instruments Chassis, and bathymetric transducer each of which was lost for use when it was installed on the Navy platform.Objective:This proposal, entitled ~Broadband Navigation Sonar Demonstration Testbed,~ is being submitted for the purchase and setup of equipment that is part of a unique research platform in support of precision navigation and timekeeping for the Navy by the Applied ResearchLaboratory at The Pennsylvania State University. The Navy currently uses both correlation velocity sonar and bathymetric map matching to perform critical navigation functions while submerged. The current Navy platform used to perform research into these areas is in extremelyhigh demand and prohibitively costly to do pre technology readiness level six (TRL-6) research.The equipment in this proposal creates a research capability that fills in the gap between basic and TRL-6 level research at a dramatically reduced cost and with high availability. It consists of equipment designed to provide precise position, velocity, and attitude all of which is synchronized with global positioning system (GPS) time. This system also enables the navigation sonar transmit and receive signals to be synchronized directly to GPS time. This level of precision in time allows the direct comparison of navigation sonar position and velocity estimation performance with ground truth provided by commercially available navigation equipment integrated on this testbed.Naval Relevance:The Navy~s needs in this area are rapidly expanding to other platforms such as long duration and high speed unmanned undersea vehicle (UUVs), attack submarine (SSNs) and surface ships operating in GPS-denied environments. Sonar based corrections for velocity and position are the only viable options. This platform will enable research tailored to the Navy~s needs at a lowtechnical risk and cost. It will continue to support critical existing SSBN research areas as well as being reconfigured to support advanced and future research.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Sep 23, 2016
- Source ID
- N000141612718
Entities
People
- Cale Brownstead
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- Pennsylvania State University
- United States Navy