An investigation of acoustic beam patterns for the sonar localization problem using a beam based method

Area of Science:

• Robotics and Automation
• Acoustic Sensing
• Bio-inspired Engineering

Background:

• Accurate target localization is crucial for autonomous systems.
• Traditional sonar systems face challenges in precise orientation estimation.
• Bio-inspired designs offer novel solutions for sensor optimization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an ultrasonic sonar system for accurate target localization.
• To investigate bio-inspired sonar receiver designs for improved orientation accuracy.
• To identify optimal receiver parameters for real-world sonar implementation.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing time of flight for distance calculation.
• Estimating orientation via frequency domain analysis of emitted and received signals.
• Designing and simulating sonar receivers inspired by bat ear morphology (flare rate, truncation angle, tragus).

Main Results:

• The performance of target localization is highly dependent on the sonar receiver's beam pattern.
• Simulations identified optimal receiver structure parameters for enhanced accuracy.
• The chosen receiver design achieved a worst-case orientation estimation error of 2° at 50 dB SNR.

Conclusions:

• Bio-inspired sonar receiver designs significantly improve target orientation accuracy.
• The developed ultrasonic sonar system offers a practical solution for precise localization.
• Further research can explore advanced bio-mimicry for enhanced sonar performance.