Range-doppler algorithm of multireceiver synthetic aperture sonar using nonuniform signal

Area of Science:

• Marine acoustics
• Signal processing
• Synthetic aperture sonar imaging

Background:

• Multireceiver synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) imaging struggles with resolution in nonuniform environments.
• Existing techniques are insufficient for complex or slightly nonuniform scenarios.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a robust imaging algorithm for multireceiver SAS.
• To enhance image resolution and focusing capabilities in challenging acoustic conditions.

Main Methods:

• A novel algorithm determines optimal receivers for imaging.
• It models the multireceiver SAS spectrum, separating monostatic and bistatic components.
• Sub-block filtering, coherent addition in the range-Doppler domain, and spectral domain range compression are employed.
• Interpolation is used to remove directional coupling before azimuth compression.

Main Results:

• The algorithm successfully focuses SAS datasets in slight nonuniform and redundant receiver scenarios.
• It consistently achieves high-resolution imaging, outperforming traditional methods.
• Simulations and experimental results validate the algorithm's effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• The proposed robust imaging algorithm significantly improves multireceiver SAS performance.
• It offers a reliable solution for achieving high-resolution sonar images in complex environments.
• The method demonstrates superior focusing capabilities compared to conventional approaches.