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EE Seminars

Broadband Ocean Acoustic Simulation


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Date:  Tue, October 20, 2009
Time:  4:30PM
Location:  Holmes Hall 389
Speaker:  Mr Jim Hino

 

Abstract

Referentia Systems Inc. has just completed a project for the Center of Excellence for Research in Ocean Sciences (CEROS).  The project resulted in a program that simulated acoustic signals received at sensors in response to broadband active sonar. 

The goal of the project was to develop an algorithm to generate acoustic waveforms with sufficient fidelity to train broadband active sonar operators.  In the real world, the operators listen to the acoustic signals and are tasked with identifying and classifying targets of interest out of the signal.  The simulations include reverberation, targets, and clutter designed to fool a trained operator.  The challenge with this task is that the human sense of hearing can discern nuances in sound that cannot be generated by computers; hence, if the simulator has sufficient fidelity to fool an expert operator, it can be used to train new operators.

In addition's to the algorithm high fidelity requirement, the system developed has to perform in real-time on a laptop computer for the purpose of integrating in the simulation's target environment which consists of a laptop-based tactical trainer.

The project was successful and resulted in the Naval Air Warfare Center funding Referentia to extend the developed algorithms into other sonar systems.

The technical topics covered will include:

·         Principles of underwater sound

·         The challenges of multi-static (multiple transmitters and receivers) systems

·         Architectural techniques to meet real-time

·         Signal processing techniques to analyze and generate audio signals

·         Real world recordings and simulated signals

Referentia is an applied research company that has developed numerous technologies in a wide range of domains such as signal processing, network quality of service, network security, high-speed databases, data fusion, mission planning and human behavior detection.  Referentia has and will continue to employ UH staff and students.  UH graduate student Lauren Gouveia worked on this project as the lead programmer.

Bio

Mr. Jim Hino holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Southern California.  He has 29 years of experience in a wide range of disciplines including systems engineering, software development and hardware development.  He has patented his design of a 40-bit, symbolic processor.  He has also developed a commercial package to graphically design real-time systems.  He has designed and developed:

·         Distributed, real-time operating systems

·         Closed-loop hydrodynamic systems

·         Signal processing algorithms for detecting targets in the ocean

·         Data fusion algorithms for tracking entities, predicting behavior and predicting intent

Most recently, he has been designing data fusion and signal processing algorithms.


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