Improved noise tolerance for sonar applications in critical environments

Sonar systems are a key element in harbor security applications. One of the major challenges in their utilization is the presence of high levels of noise and cluster. In this paper, we analyze the distribution of errors in the time-delay estimation for a sonar system using a train of pulses and show that a robust fusion of echoes from multiple pings can greatly improve its resilience to noise. As a result, an increased range of operation can be achieved in applications to extremely noisy environments such as harbors, ports and costal facilities