A ballistic model-based method for ranging small arms fire using a single acoustic sensor node.

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 ballistic parameters.
• A single-sensor approach offers advantages in deployment flexibility and cost.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a ballistic model-based method for estimating the range of small arms fire using a single acoustic sensor node.
• To achieve accurate ranging without a priori knowledge of specific ballistic parameters like muzzle speed and ballistic constant.
• To address the challenge of unknown ballistic parameters by defining a known two-dimensional parameter subspace.

Main Methods:

• A closed-form range estimator is derived based on a ballistic model.
• The method utilizes measurements of differential time of arrival and differential angle of arrival of muzzle blast and ballistic shock waves.
• It computes the mean of feasible range estimates over a 2D parameter subspace for a presumed small miss angle.

Main Results:

• The proposed method provides a range estimate of the point of fire, particularly effective for small miss angles.
• Performance was evaluated using simulated data for 36 bullet types and real data for two bullet types.
• The results demonstrate the feasibility and potential accuracy of the single-sensor ranging technique.

Conclusions:

• The developed ballistic model-based method offers a viable solution for ranging small arms fire with a single acoustic sensor.
• The approach effectively handles unknown ballistic parameters within a defined subspace.
• This technique has significant implications for acoustic-based threat detection and localization systems.