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Data Fusion of Electric Field and Acoustic Data

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Navy
Contract: N68335-09-C-0258
Agency Tracking Number: N091-019-1550
Amount: $79,989.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N091-019
Solicitation Number: 2009.1
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2009
Award Year: 2009
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2009-04-30
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2009-10-30
Small Business Information
1510 Springport Rd Suite C
Jackson, MI 49202
United States
DUNS: 005055582
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Dennis Byrne
 Principal Electrical Engi
 (517) 784-8340
 dbyrne@sealandaire.com
Business Contact
 David Sparks
Title: Principal Electrical Engi
Phone: (517) 784-8340
Email: dsparks@sealandaire.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

Conventional acoustic ASW methods are limited in littoral regions, where multipath caused by widely varying sound speed profiles and cluttered boundary conditions is concurrent with high ambient noise. For this reason additional detection methods are desirable. Many potential targets of interest generate incidental electric fields from the galvanic potential field generated by dissimilar metals in contact with seawater. Ultimately, these low-frequency e-fields propagate through the water and can be detected at a moderate distance with e-field sensors; when combined with the acoustic data, the fused data can provide additional performance in terms of reduced false alarm rates, tracking, and classification. The opportunity, then, is to develop a tactically deployable, hybrid e-field and acoustic buoy that can support a multilayered data fusion approach to improve airborne ASW capability in cluttered littoral regions. This program will develop a conceptual buoy design that incorporates both the acoustic sensor and the e-field sensor for tactical surveillance and classification of marine vessels. The design will include in-buoy signal processing algorithms for data fusion of the e-field and acoustic sensors to increase probability of detection. System performance metrics will be predicted through simulation.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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