Three-dimensional underwater image formation with inverse synthetic aperture sonar

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 PhD Student, Faculty of Engineering, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

Underwater three-dimensional imaging can be performed using several sonar sensors and interferometric methods. The problem with employng multiple sensors is the increased cost of hardware and synchronization issues. However, uncertainty reduces by using this method. An alternative way to reduce hardware is to utilize multipath circuits in the underwater environment. In this environment, multipath circuits are created by the impact of sound waves on the seafloor and sea surface. Seafloor reflections create direct-direct, direct-indirect, indirect-direct, and indirect-indirect circuits. In this paper, both methods of using and not using multipath circuits for three-dimensional imaging are presented in detail. Moreover, both approaches of using or not using virtual sources and cube target imaging will be carried out using the MATLAB software package. The type of sonar presented in this paper is an inverse synthetic aperture sonar. The results are comparable with those of the commercial systems. However, not all practical conditions are considered in this study in contrast with the commercial systems. Our contribution is the study of a novel method in three-dimensional imaging using virtual sources. This method has not been applied for this purpose before

Highlights

  • Three-dimensional underwater imaging by an ISAS is presented.
  • The problem was investigated using real and virtual sources employing MATLAB.
  • A new method was applied to obtain the third dimension using virtual sources.
  • Resolution results using virtual sources, were broadly satisfactory in the far-field case.

Keywords

Main Subjects


[1] V.C. Chen, Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging; Principles, Institution of Engineering and Technology, 2014.
[2] J. Palmer, J. Homer, B. Mojarrabi, Improving on the monostatic radar cross section of targets by employing sea clutter to emulate a bistatic radar, in:  IGARSS 2003. 2003 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium. Proceedings (IEEE Cat. No. 03CH37477), IEEE, 2003, pp. 324-326.
[3] E. Epçaçan, Underwater channel modeling for sonar applications, in, 2011.
[4] F.M. Caimi, D.M. Kocak, F. Dalgleish, J. Watson, Underwater imaging and optics: Recent advances, in:  OCEANS 2008, IEEE, 2008, pp. 1-9.
[5] X. Lurton, P. Blondel, M. Collins-K., Ambient noise in the ocean, in:  An Introduction to Underwater Acoustics: Principles and Applications. 2nd ed., Springer, 2010, pp. 123-165.
[6] V. Murino, A. Trucco, Three-dimensional image generation and processing in underwater acoustic vision, Proceedings of the IEEE, 88 (2000) 1903-1948.
[7] H. Guo, R. Li, F. Xu, L. Liu, Review of research on sonar imaging technology in China, Chinese journal of oceanology and limnology, 31 (2013) 1341-1349.
[8] R. Hansen, Introduction to Synthetic Aperture Sonar Systems, September 2011.
[9] J. Taghizadeh, S.A. Seyedin, Underwater moving target imaging using Multistatic Inverse Synthetic Aperture Sonar (MISAS) with virtual resources, (2015).
[10] W.K. Blake, T.D. Le, J.R. Peoples, Target interpretation using inverse synthetic aperture sonar techniques, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 90 (1991) 2341-2341.
[11] P. Serafin, M. Okon-Fafara, M. Szugajew, C. Lesnik, A. Kawalec, 3-D inverse synthetic aperture sonar imaging, in:  2017 18th International Radar Symposium (IRS), IEEE, 2017, pp. 1-7.
[12] M. Martorella, D. Stagliano, F. Salvetti, N. Battisti, 3D interferometric ISAR imaging of noncooperative targets, IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, 50 (2014) 3102-3114.
[13] S. Sun, Y. Chen, L. Qiu, G. Zhang, C. Zhao, Inverse synthetic aperture sonar imaging of underwater vehicles utilizing 3-D rotations, IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, 45 (2019) 563-576.
[14] T.G. Fossum, P.E. Hagen, B. Langli, R.E. Hansen, HISAS 1030: High resolution synthetic aperture sonar with bathymetric capabilities, Shallow survey, Portsmouth, NH, USA, (2008).
[15] W.A. Kuperman, P. Roux, Underwater acoustics, in:  Springer Handbook of Acoustics, Springer, 2014, pp. 157-212.
[16] M.B. Porter, The bellhop manual and user’s guide: Preliminary draft, Heat, Light, and Sound Research, Inc., La Jolla, CA, USA, Tech. Rep, 260 (2011).
[17] R.J. Urick, Principles of underwater sound-2, (1975).
[18] B.D. Dushaw, P.F. Worcester, B.D. Cornuelle, B.M. Howe, On equations for the speed of sound in seawater, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 93 (1993) 255-275.
[19] X.J. Xu, R.M. Narayanan, Three-dimensional interferometric ISAR imaging for target scattering diagnosis and modeling, IEEE Transactions on Image Processing, 10 (2001) 1094-1102.
[20] J. Palmer, I.D. Longstaff, M. Martorella, B. Littleton, ISAR imaging using an emulated multistatic radar system, IEEE transactions on aerospace and electronic systems, 41 (2005) 1464-1472.
[21] X. Cao, F. Su, H. Sun, G. Xu, Three-dimensional In-ISAR imaging via the emulated bistatic radar, in:  2007 2nd IEEE Conference on Industrial Electronics and Applications, IEEE, 2007, pp. 2826-2830.
[22] F. Berizzi, M. Diani, Multipath effects on ISAR image reconstruction, IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, 34 (1998) 645-653.