Automatic target detection using a ground-based passive acoustic sensor

The objective of the paper is to study the target detection capability of a single passive acoustic sensor in a land environment using real data. The targets of interest are ground vehicles, turbo-prop aircraft and helicopters, each of which emits a strong acoustic signal consisting of harmonically related tones superimposed on a broadband random component. Three different detectors, one operating in the time domain and two in the frequency domain, are investigated. These are the log sum (LS), harmonic set (HS) and maximum power (MP) detectors respectively. The three detectors are tested using real acoustic data recorded during the transit of a variety of wheeled vehicles pass the sensor and their performances compared in terms of the detection range, probabilities of false alarm and detection, and processing time. The performance of the HS detector is further evaluated by processing real data for other types of targets