KEYWORDS: Ear, Digital signal processing, Personal digital assistants, Sensors, Global Positioning System, Acoustics, Sniper detection, Commercial off the shelf technology, Signal processing, Phased arrays
The Early Attack Reaction Sensor (EARS) is a modified passive acoustic system that detects gunshots (muzzle blast and/or shockwave) to provide the user with relative azimuth and range of sniper fire via both audio alert and visual display. The EARS system consists of a microphone array in a small planar configuration and an equivalently sized Digital Signal Processing board, which is interfaced to a PDA via a PCMCIA slot. Hence, configuration easily provides portability. However, the system is being repackaged for man-wearable and vehicle mount applications. The EARS system in a PDA configuration has been tested in open fields at up to 500 meters range and has provided useable bearing and range information against the sniper rounds. This paper will discuss EARS system description, various test results, and EARS system capabilities and limitations.
This paper describes experimental results from a live-fire data collect designed to demonstrate the ability of IR and acoustic sensing systems to detect and map high-volume gunfire events from tactical UAVs. The data collect supports an exploratory study of the FightSight concept in which an autonomous UAV-based sensor exploitation and decision support capability is being proposed to provide dynamic situational awareness for large-scale battalion-level firefights in cluttered urban environments. FightSight integrates IR imagery, acoustic data, and 3D scene context data with prior time information in a multi-level, multi-step probabilistic-based fusion process to reliably locate and map the array of urban firing events and firepower movements and trends associated with the evolving urban battlefield situation. Described here are sensor results from live-fire experiments involving simultaneous firing of multiple sub/super-sonic weapons (2-AK47, 2-M16, 1 Beretta, 1 Mortar, 1 rocket) with high optical and acoustic clutter at ranges up to 400m. Sensor-shooter-target configurations and clutter were designed to simulate UAV sensing conditions for a high-intensity firefight in an urban environment. Sensor systems evaluated were an IR bullet tracking system by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and an acoustic gunshot detection system by Planning Systems, Inc. (PSI). The results demonstrate convincingly the ability for the LLNL and PSI sensor systems to accurately detect, separate, and localize multiple shooters and the associated shot directions during a high-intensity firefight (77 rounds in 5 sec) in a high acoustic and optical clutter environment with very low false alarms. Preliminary fusion processing was also examined that demonstrated an ability to distinguish co-located shooters (shooter density), range to <0.5 m accuracy at 400m, and weapon type. The combined results of the high-intensity firefight data collect and a detailed systems study demonstrate the readiness of the FightSight concept for full system development and integration.
KEYWORDS: Sensors, Digital signal processing, Manufacturing, Acoustics, Computing systems, Firearms, Signal processing, Telecommunications, Receivers, Analog electronics
Planning Systems Incorporated (PSI) has been working with the National Institute of Justice, Center for Society Law and Justice (CSLJ) at the University of New Orleans, and law enforcement agencies in five highly varied United States locations over the past three years to evaluate the use of an automated, wireless acoustic gun fire detection and localization system. Considerable progress has been made in improving the sensor design, system engineering, software applications, deployment practices and manufacturing capabilities since last year's presentation. Two military variants have been developed as well. This paper will provide an updated status of SECURES technology and its utilization.
The Law Enforcement technology development community has a growing interest in the technologies associated with gunshot detection and localization. These interests revolve around community-oriented policing. Technologies of interest include those associated with muzzle blast and bullet shockwave detection and the inter-netting of these acoustic sensors with electro-optic sensors. To date, no one sensor technology has proven totally effective for a complete solution. PSI has a muzzle blast detection and localization product which is wireless, highly mobile and reconfigurable, with a user-friendly laptop processor and display unit, which completed a one-year demonstration in Austin, Texas on July 6, 2002. This demonstration was conducted under a Cooperative Agreement with the National Institute of Justice and in cooperation with the Austin Police Department. This paper will discuss the details of the demonstrations, provide a summarized evaluation, elucidate the lessons learned, make recommendations for future deployments and discuss the developmental directions indicated for the future.
The Law Enforcement and Military technology development communities have a growing common interest in the technologies associated with gunshot detection and localization. These common interests include urban warfare, community-oriented policing and sniper location. Technologies of interest include those associated with muzzle blast and bullet shockwave detection and the inter-netting of these acoustic sensors with electro-optic sensors. To date, no one sensor technology has proven totally effective for a complete solution. PSI has a muzzle blast detection and localization product which is wireless, highly mobile and reconfigurable, with a user-friendly laptop processor and display unit, which is currently being demonstrated in two different implementations: 1) A one-year, and on-going urban gunshot detection system installed in Austin, Texas, that began July 2001; and 2) A counter sniper system demonstration conducted at both the Aberdeen Proving Grounds and at an Israeli Defense Force firing range in the second half of the year in 2001. The former topic is under the auspices of a National Institute of Justice Cooperative Agreement with PSI and the Austin Police Department, and the latter topic was managed by the Army Research Laboratory and co-funded by DARPA/ATO and PSI. This paper will discuss successful aspects of the demonstrations to date, operational conclusions, and the development directions indicated for the future.
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