METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ACOUSTIC DETECTION OF MINES AND OTHER BURIED MAN-MADE OBJECTS

摘要

A device (10) whichemploys an acousticsignal having one or morefrequencies for penetratinginto ground, water, orsediments and vibrating acompliant buried object (8)is provided. When theseacoustic signals encounteran acoustically compliantobject (8) such as a mine,the acoustic signals vibratethe compliant object (8),leading to a vibration ofthe compliant object (8)against the boundaries ofthe surrounding mediumsuch as ground sediment,creating a nonlineardistortion of the probingsignal including thegeneration of harmonicsand acoustic waves withcombination frequencies(nonlinear signals). Thesenonlinear vibrating signalsare received from thesurface by a sensor (20).The amplitude of the measured nonlinear signals indicates the presence of anacoustically compliant object (8) such as a mine. Thepresent invention also relates to a method and apparatus which emits anelectromagnetic RF probing signal and acoustic or vibration signal(modulating signal), detects the reflected electromagnetic signal from theburied object (8), and processes the received signal, identifyingthe modulation caused by vibration.