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Source Localization with Vector Sensor Array durng the Makai Experiment

P.J. Santos, pjsantos@ualg.pt
P. Felisberto
, pfelis@ualg.pt
Institute for Systems and Robotics, University of Algarve
Campus de Gambelas, PT-8005-139 Faro, Portugal
P. Hursky,
paul.hursky@hlsresearch.com
HLS Research Inc., 12730 High Bluff Drive, San Diego, California 92130.

Comments: download file (pdf )
Ref.: Int. Conf. on Underwater Acoustic Measurements, Heraklion, June 2007

Abstract: Vector sensors measure both the acoustic pressure and the three components of particle velocity. Because of this, a vector sensor array (VSA) has the advantage of being able to provide substantially higher directivity with a much smaller aperture than an array of traditional scalar (pressure only) hydrophones. Although several, most of them theoretic, works were published from early nineties, only in the last years due to improvements and availability of vector sensor technology, the interest on field experiments with VSA increased in the scientific community. During the Makai Experiment, that took place off the coast of Kauai I., Hawaii, in September 2005, real data were collected with a 4 element vertical VSA. These data will be discussed in the present paper. The acoustic signals were emitted from a near source (low frequency ship noise) and two high frequency controlled acoustic sources located within a range of 2km from the VSA. The advantages of the VSA over traditional scalar hydrophone arrays in source localization will be addressed using conventional beamforming.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT: The authors would like to thank Michael Porter, chief scientist for the Makai Exeriment, Bruce Abraham at Applied Physical Sciences for providing assistance with the data acquisition, the SPAWAR Systems Center in San Diego for providing the towed source, and the team at HLS Research for their help with the data used in this analysis. The authors also thank Jerry Tarasek at Naval Surface Weapons Center for the use of the vector sensor array used in this work.