Acoustic ranging of small arms fire using a single sensor node collocated with the target.

Area of Science:

• Acoustics
• Ballistics
• Signal Processing

Background:

• Accurate ranging of small arms fire is crucial for various applications.
• Existing methods often require multiple sensors or prior knowledge of projectile parameters.
• Acoustic sensing offers a passive and potentially cost-effective solution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a single-sensor acoustic method for ranging small arms fire.
• To estimate projectile parameters (muzzle speed, ballistic constant) without a priori knowledge.
• To validate the method using both simulated and real-world acoustic data.

Main Methods:

• A ballistic model-based approach was employed, extending previous work.
• The method utilizes differential time and angle of arrival measurements of muzzle blast and ballistic shock waves.
• A single acoustic sensor node collocated with the target is used.

Main Results:

• The proposed method successfully ranged small arms fire using a single acoustic sensor.
• Performance was validated with both simulated and real-world data, demonstrating feasibility.
• The technique effectively estimates key ballistic parameters within a defined parameter space.

Conclusions:

• A single-sensor acoustic ranging method for small arms fire is feasible and effective.
• The approach does not require prior knowledge of specific bullet parameters.
• This method offers a promising solution for passive acoustic target localization.