Forward Scan and 3-D Forward Look Sonars for Ocean Explorer Auv's.

摘要

The long-term goal of this research is to develop Forward Looking Sonar Systems (FLSS) for the Ocean Explorer class and mini class AUV s with specific emphasis on operation in a shallow water environment. [1, 2] The two sonar systems generate different types of seafloor images, one is a Forward Scan Sonar, (FSS) that generates a scan image and the second is a 3-D Forward Look Sonar (3-D FLS) that generates a 3-D rendition of the sea floor terrain. The FSS acquires a complete beamformed image of the seafloor ahead of the AUV at a very fast image rate (4 to 5 full forward sector images per second) providing the information needed for obstacle avoidance, navigation [3], mine recognition and terrain mapping. The 3-D FLS generates images at a slower rate but can be very effective in target recognition. Both a low frequency (250 kHz) and high frequency (600 kHz) versions are being developed.