UACE: Sonar data simulation with application to multi-beam echo sounders

• Session:
  Sonar performance modeling and verification - Applications to active and passive sonar
• Paper:
  Sonar data simulation with application to multi-beam echo sounders
• Author(s):
  Antoine Blachet, Tor Inge Birkenes Lønmo, Andreas Austeng, Fabrice Prieur, Alan Hunter, Roy Edgar Hansen
• Abstract:
  The capability to simulate sonar data is a major asset when investigating new sonar designs. Due to the high cost in development, prototyping and testing new sonar designs and concepts, it is imperative to perform realistic simulations of the sonar setup. However, the availability of open access modular sonar simulators is limited.\n\nIn this work, we present a sonar data simulator built on FIELDII, a robust and flexible modelling environment, highly recognized and widespread in the ultrasound community. FIELDII models the wave-field emitted by all kind of element design with arbitrary pulse shape. Then it computes the signal recorded by the transducer from the backscattered field using the concept of spatial impulse response. A seafloor topographic model can be represented by a distribution of point scatterers associated with reflectivity values. The user can define a navigation map to position in space and time the acquisition platform regarding to the bathymetric model. \n\nThe outputs of the simulator are unprocessed channel data. The processing workflow is fully modular and allows to ensure that we take advantage of the sonar design choices. It includes pulse compression, beamforming using an open access package, the ability to implement specific processing such as match filtering. Eventually it leads to bottom detection then to a bathymetric map and the estimation of its quality.\n\nWe simulate a realistic Multi Beam Echo Sounder setup, corresponding to a shallow water mapping scenario. We produce synthetic data at different processing stages, from raw data to depth soundings. We illustrate the simulator’s capabilities by showing the impact of the pulse shape on hydrographic performances.\n
•   Download the full paper

Contact details

• Contact person:
  Mr Antoine Blachet
• e-mail:
  
• Affiliation:
  University of Oslo
• Country:
  France