We propose a novel and promising approach to the development of a compact, highly modularized and intelligent acoustic sensory system. The system is portable, it is in a small form factor, and it has very low power consumption. The sensor system leverages new acoustic sensors and state-of-the-art technologies in digital signal processing (DSP) and ultra-low power processors. Each sensor in the system will be designed as a modularized and plug-and-play component. The main board can recognize each sensor automatically. The sensor system will use high resolution data format and high sampling rate for all data acquisition, communication, and storage. Furthermore, we propose a novel and fast method for the sensor system to self-calibrate in the field. All sensors and parts will be selected and the initial system will be designed in Phase I, including hardware architecture, schematics and algorithms. Necessary software simulation to validate the algorithms and system performance will be performed in Phase I as well. During Phase II, we will finalize the design and fabricate the entire sensor system. The proposed sensor system is capable of working at various meteorologically extreme environments, and it will meet military requirements. The final product will be a compact, ruggedized, and portable acoustic sensor system that can be carried by a person or mounted on a vehicle, aircraft, or stationary object.
