SBIR-STTR Award

The multiple submunition function counting study can be utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of an explosion monitoring system. Sensors distributed along the edges of the identified zone will feed the signal via telephone cable into a central computer. The signals will be processed by synthetic aperture techniques to yield the number and location of the munition strikes. The most promising synthetic aperture technique appears to be linear back projection of the sound pulser onto a matrix consisting of two dimensions of space and one of time, similar to "cat" medical imaging technique. The perferred sensor for the data gathering system will be acoustic unless non-explosive or ground penetrating munitions are to be evaluated. In that case the system will be enhanced with seismic sensors. The seismic signals may be processed by the same electronics, but the processing algorithms will require a substantial amount of adaption and refinement to achieve the same level of accuracy and reliability. The phase i study results will determine the need and system viability.

In phase II of the sbir award, evi, incorporated proved that it is possible to pinpoint with a high degree of accuracy the location of sound (in this case, detonations) using an array of microphones, a personal computer, and specially written software. In phase ii of the sbir award, evi proposes to build a full scale version of the prototype system designed under phase i and to install it at yuma proving ground (ypg). The proposed sound location (solo) system consists of three components: (1) the fixed wiring at the test site; (2) heavy-duty, weather-resistant microphones; and (3) a computer with peripherals and software. The phase ii effort will include studying optimum microphone locations, designing and building weather-resistant microphones and interface hardware, and writing and revising software for automatic operation. The technical objectives evi will meet in implementing phase ii are threefold: (1) evi will determine the optimum placement for solo's microphones; (2) evi will design and build physically and electrically rugged microphones and interface hardware for use on the test range; (3) evi will write and modify solo software to perform the required functions autonomously.