Bio-inspired wideband sonar signals based on observations of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

This paper uses advanced time-frequency signal analysis techniques to generate new models for bio-inspired sonar signals. The inspiration comes from the analysis of bottlenose dolphin clicks. These pulses are very short duration, between 50 and 80 micros, but for certain examples we can delineate a double down-chirp structure using fractional Fourier methods. The majority of clicks have energy distributed between two main frequency bands with the higher frequencies delayed in time by 5-20 micros. Signal syntheses using a multiple chirp model based on these observations are able to reproduce much of the spectral variation seen in earlier studies on natural dolphin echolocation pulses. Six synthetic signals are generated and used to drive the dolphin based sonar (DBS) developed through the Biosonar Program office at the SPAWAR Systems Center, San Diego, CA. Analyses of the detailed echo structure for these pulses ensonifying two solid copper spherical targets indicate differences in discriminatory potential between the signals. It is suggested that target discrimination could be improved through the transmission of a signal packet in which the chirp structure is varied between pulses. Evidence that dolphins may use such a strategy themselves comes from observations of variations in the transmissions of dolphins carrying out target detection and identification tasks.     

Discrimination of amplitude-modulated synthetic echo trains by an echolocating bottlenose dolphin

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) have an acute ability to use target echoes to judge attributes such as size, shape, and material composition. Most target recognition studies have focused on features associated with individual echoes as opposed to information conveyed across echo sequences (feature envelope of the multi-echo train). One feature of aspect-dependent targets is an amplitude modulation (AM) across the return echoes in the echo train created by relative movement of the target and dolphin. The current study examined whether dolphins could discriminate targets with different AM envelopes. "Electronic echoes" triggered by a dolphin's outgoing echolocation clicks were manipulated to create sinusoidal envelopes with varying AM rate and depth. Echo trains were equated for energy, requiring the dolphin to extract and retain information from multiple echoes in order to detect and report the presence of AM. The dolphin discriminated amplitude-modulated echo trains from those that were not modulated. AM depth thresholds were approximately 0.8 dB, similar to other published amplitude limens. Decreasing the rate of modulation from approximately 16 to 2 cycles per second did not affect the dolphin's AM depth sensitivity. The results support multiple-echo processing in bottlenose dolphin echolocation. This capability provides additional theoretical justification for exploring synthetic aperture sonar concepts in models of animal echolocation that potentially support theories postulating formation of images as an ultimate means for target identification.     

扩展性微动目标回波模拟与特征参数提取研究

研究了微动目标的多普勒回波模拟及特征参数提取技术. 提出了一种基于物理光学法和等效电磁流法的扩展性微动目标回波模拟方法. 将在目标坐标系下计算得到的后向散射场通过坐标转换, 成为雷达坐标系下的目标回波, 通过与解析信号模型对比验证方法的正确性. 分析了圆锥与带翼弹头的进动特性, 为获得较好的时频聚集性同时避免交叉项采用S-method方法对获取的回波信号进行时频分析, 分析了不同雷达波入射角度, 不同运动状态及不同几何外形的时频分布特点. 对时频分布图进行逆Radon变换, 将正弦曲线映射到参数空间, 从而获取目标的微动参数. 该研究结合电磁散射与信号处理技术, 通过对典型弹道目标的仿真, 获得一些不同于传统微动模型的结果, 结合电磁散射理论, 对这些现象进行了解释分析. 该研究成果在弹道目标的探测识别领域具有重要的理论与应用价值.     

Acoustic features of objects matched by an echolocating bottlenose dolphin

The focus of this study was to investigate how dolphins use acoustic features in returning echolocation signals to discriminate among objects. An echolocating dolphin performed a match-to-sample task with objects that varied in size, shape, material, and texture. After the task was completed, the features of the object echoes were measured (e.g., target strength, peak frequency). The dolphin's error patterns were examined in conjunction with the between-object variation in acoustic features to identify the acoustic features that the dolphin used to discriminate among the objects. The present study explored two hypotheses regarding the way dolphins use acoustic information in echoes: (1) use of a single feature, or (2) use of a linear combination of multiple features. The results suggested that dolphins do not use a single feature across all object sets or a linear combination of six echo features. Five features appeared to be important to the dolphin on four or more sets: the echo spectrum shape, the pattern of changes in target strength and number of highlights as a function of object orientation, and peak and center frequency. These data suggest that dolphins use multiple features and integrate information across echoes from a range of object orientations.     

Changes in signal parameters over time for an echolocating Atlantic bottlenose dolphin performing the same target discrimination task

This study documents the changes in peak frequency, source level, and spectrum shape of echolocation clicks made by the same dolphin performing the same discrimination task in 1998 and in 2003/2004 with spherical solid stainless steel and brass targets. The total average peak frequency used in 1998 was 138 kHz but in 2003/2004 it had shifted down nearly 3.5 octaves to 40 kHz. The total average source level also shifted down from 206 dB in 1998 to 187 kHz in 2003/2004. The standard deviation of these parameter values within time periods was small indicating a consistent difference between time periods. The average parameter values for clicks used when exposed to brass versus steel targets were very similar indicating that target type did not greatly influence the dolphin's average echolocation behavior. The spectrum shapes of the average clicks used in 1998 and in 2003/2004 were nearly mirror images of each other with the peak energy in 2003/2004 being concentrated where the 1998 clicks had the lowest energy content and vice versa. Despite the dramatic differences in click frequency content the dolphin was able to perform the same discrimination task at nearly the same level of success.     

水下目标弹性声散射信号分离

水下目标弹性声散射与其他声散射成分在时域和频域上均存在混叠, 现有信号处理方法受分辨力限制无法在混叠状态下识别目标弹性声散射特征. 针对这个问题, 提出了一种目标弹性声散射信号分离方法. 以目标回波亮点模型为基础, 分析了线性调频信号入射时目标声散射成分的信号特性, 提出了一种目标声散射成分向单频信号的映射方法, 并理论推导出了目标声散射结构与映射结果之间的线性对应关系, 实现了通过窄带滤波分离出目标弹性声散射成分. 仿真与消声水池实验数据处理结果表明, 该方法基本可以完全分离出目标回波信号中的弹性声散射成分, 分离出的弹性声散射具有与理论一致的信号特征, 验证了该分离方法的有效性.     

Intrinsic echolocation capability of Hector's dolphin, Cephalorhynchus hectori.

A sonar system's echolocation capabilities can be inferred from the ambiguity distribution (defined here in terms of the conventional signal response function) of each of its transmitted signals. Several records of sounds emitted by Hector's dolphin are analyzed. The computed ambiguity distributions indicate that the sonar clicks of Hector's dolphins should be capable of resolving the ranges of targets as close together as 2 cm apart, but that target velocities cannot be resolved to any useful degree from a single echo.     

Classification of Risso's and Pacific white-sided dolphins using spectral properties of echolocation clicks

The spectral and temporal properties of echolocation clicks and the use of clicks for species classification are investigated for five species of free-ranging dolphins found offshore of southern California: short-beaked common (Delphinus delphis), long-beaked common (D. capensis), Risso's (Grampus griseus), Pacific white-sided (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens), and bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) dolphins. Spectral properties are compared among the five species and unique spectral peak and notch patterns are described for two species. The spectral peak mean values from Pacific white-sided dolphin clicks are 22.2, 26.6, 33.7, and 37.3 kHz and from Risso's dolphins are 22.4, 25.5, 30.5, and 38.8 kHz. The spectral notch mean values from Pacific white-sided dolphin clicks are 19.0, 24.5, and 29.7 kHz and from Risso's dolphins are 19.6, 27.7, and 35.9 kHz. Analysis of variance analyses indicate that spectral peaks and notches within the frequency band 24-35 kHz are distinct between the two species and exhibit low variation within each species. Post hoc tests divide Pacific white-sided dolphin recordings into two distinct subsets containing different click types, which are hypothesized to represent the different populations that occur within the region. Bottlenose and common dolphin clicks do not show consistent patterns of spectral peaks or notches within the frequency band examined (1-100 kHz).     

Neural time and movement time in choice of whistle or pulse burst responses to different auditory stimuli by dolphins

Echolocating dolphins emit trains of clicks and receive echoes from ocean targets. They often emit each successive ranging click about 20 ms after arrival of the target echo. In echolocation, decisions must be made about the target--fish or fowl, predator or food. In the first test of dolphin auditory decision speed, three bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) chose whistle or pulse burst responses to different auditory stimuli randomly presented without warning in rapid succession under computer control. The animals were trained to hold pressure catheters in the nasal cavity so that pressure increases required for sound production could be used to split response time (RT) into neural time and movement time. Mean RT in the youngest and fastest dolphin ranged from 175 to 213 ms when responding to tones and from 213 to 275 ms responding to pulse trains. The fastest neural times and movement times were around 60 ms. The results suggest that echolocating dolphins tune to a rhythm so that succeeding pulses in a train are produced about 20 ms over target round-trip travel time. The dolphin nervous system has evolved for rapid processing of acoustic stimuli to accommodate for the more rapid sound speed in water compared to air.     

水下目标回波与混响的时频形态特征域盲分离

水下沉底或掩埋目标识别受海底混响干扰严重,并且目标回波与混响在时-频域上均存在混叠,增大了对目标回波与混响的分离难度。根据目标回波与混响的产生机理差异,将图像形态学与时频分析相结合的盲分离算法用于目标回波与混响的分离。推导了目标几何声散射成分与混响在Wigner-Ville时频面的形态特征表达式,利用图像形态学滤波去除Wigner-Ville时频面中的混响及刚性亮点之间交叉项,在时频形态特征域获取解混矩阵,实现了目标回波和混响的分离。仿真与实验数据处理结果表明,结合图像形态学的时频域盲分离算法提高了目标回波信号的信混比。      

海豚声纳信号的脉冲分解及特征分析

提出一种海豚声纳目标探测脉冲串信号的脉冲分解方法,在此基础上对海豚声纳脉冲信号的特征进行了分析,其中包括脉冲宽度、脉冲间隔以及脉冲的时间分辨率和频率分辨率,并采用耳蜗滤波对海豚声纳脉冲串信号的时频特征进行了分析。分析结果表明,探测目标的过程中,根据目标距离的不同,海豚会自适应调节脉冲信号的发射频率和信号形式。     

Echolocation in the Risso's dolphin,Grampus griseus

The Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus) is an exclusively cephalopod-consuming delphinid with a distinctive vertical indentation along its forehead. To investigate whether or not the species echolocates, a female Risso's dolphin was trained to discriminate an aluminum cylinder from a nylon sphere (experiment 1) or an aluminum sphere (experiment 2) while wearing eyecups and free swimming in an open-water pen in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. The dolphin completed the task with little difficulty despite being blindfolded. Clicks emitted by the dolphin were acquired at average amplitudes of 192.6 dB re 1 microPa, with estimated sources levels up to 216 dB re 1 microPa-1 m. Clicks were acquired with peak frequencies as high as 104.7 kHz (Mf(p) = 47.9 kHz), center frequencies as high as 85.7 kHz (Mf(0) = 56.5 kHz), 3-dB bandwidths up to 94.1 kHz (M(BW) = 39.7 kHz), and root-mean-square bandwidths up to 32.8 kHz (M(RMS) = 23.3 kHz). Click durations were between 40 and 70 micros. The data establish that the Risso's dolphin echolocates, and that, aside from slightly lower amplitudes and frequencies, the clicks emitted by the dolphin were similar to those emitted by other echolocating odontocetes. The particular acoustic and behavioral findings in the study are discussed with respect to the possible direction of the sonar transmission beam of the species.     

Range resolution and the possible use of spectral information in the echolocating bat, Eptesicus fuscus

Individuals of the echolocating bat Eptesicus fuscus were trained to discriminate simulated two-wave-front targets with internal time delays of 0 to 100 microns between the wave fronts from a one-wave-front target. The ability of bats to discriminate between such targets can be referred to as range resolution. In Eptesicus fuscus, this ability is limited to distinct internal time delays (12, 32-40, and 52-100 microns) between the two wave fronts of a double-wave-front target. Analysis of the simulated two-wave-front echoes reveals periodic frequency minima in the spectrum. Position and separation of these spectral minima depend on the time delay between the two wave fronts. The occurrence of spectral minima within the frequency range of the first harmonic in the echo of the bats' echolocation call correlates to the bats' ability to discriminate a one-wave-front echo from two-wave-front echoes, suggesting that Eptesicus fuscus uses spectral differences within the first harmonic in echoes for range resolution.     

An auditory periphery model for improving narrow-band noise recognition rate of underwater targets

The recognition rate of the auditory periphery features decreases when the model is used to identify underwater targets in practice. To solve this problem, an improved method based on Gammatone filter bank is proposed. Firstly, after the reason of the decreasing of the recognition results is analyzed,the mechanism of multichannel data acquisition in acoustic engineering may narrow down signal frequency range, which leads to time-frequency features distortion. Secondly, the Gammatone filter bank is implemented to simulate frequency decomposition characteristics of human ear basilar membrane. Since the class information of the underwater noise signal is mostly contained in low frequency range, the auditory features of the conventional model are interpolated and the channel number of the filter bank and the central frequency of each frequency band are adjusted accordingly to obtain a 27-dimensional feature vector of the narrow-band target signal. The adjusted model may reflect the target's timefrequency feature more precisely. Finally, the performance of the auditory features is tested by a Neural Network classifier. The experiment results show that the modified auditory model is more effective than the conventional ones. The major information contained in broadband signals is reserved and the classification ability for real targets is further enhanced. The recognition results are increased from 82.59% to 88.80%. The modified auditory features effectively improve the recognition rate for underwater target radiated noise signals.     

一种利用海豚叫声的仿生水声通信方法

针对水下通信隐蔽性的需求, 克服传统固定载波调制方式带来的声源暴露问题, 提出一种基于海豚叫声的仿生伪装水声通信方法, 使通信信号被当作海洋生物噪声排除, 达到隐蔽通信的效果. 研究了海豚叫声信号特点, 利用海豚哨声信号实现同步与识别, 采用差分脉冲位置调制方法, 信息调制在相邻海豚嘀嗒声信号的时间间隔, 采用压缩传感体制下的匹配追踪技术估计信道, 虚拟时反技术实现信道均衡. 湖试结果验证了该方法的有效性和可行性, 接收声信号与发射信号声音上具有很高的相似度, 可以达到伪装隐蔽的效果. 实验中水平距离2 km, 通信速率不小于29 bps时,误码率可以达到10^-4以下. 关键词： 水声通信 仿生 海豚 隐蔽     

海洋波导中刚性球及旋转椭球前向散射场时频特征的畸变

利用波导中目标声散射理论的简正波方法,数值模拟了自由空间和浅海均匀波导中刚性球、旋转椭球的散射场,分析了波导中刚性体前向散射时频特征的畸变规律。仿真结果表明:波导中刚性体的前向散射时域波形与频谱特征受波导制约;目标散射场的固有特征受波导色散特征的调制,时频谱上呈现出由于色散的简正波间的耦合而导致各简正波能量条纹界限模糊的现象。时频特征的畸变程度与组成散射共振系统的波导、目标的尺度以及散射体布放深度有关,随波导底质透声能力和深度增加、散射体散射强度(信混比)增强而减弱。      

Echo features used by human listeners to discriminate among objects that vary in material or wall thickness: implications for echolocating dolphins

Echolocating dolphins extract object feature information from the acoustic parameters of echoes. To gain insight into which acoustic parameters are important for object discrimination, human listeners were presented with echoes from objects used in two discrimination tasks performed by dolphins: Hollow cylinders with varying wall thicknesses (+/-0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.8 mm), and spheres made of different materials (steel, aluminum, brass, nylon, and glass). The human listeners performed as well or better than the dolphins at the task of discriminating between the standard object and the comparison objects on both the cylinders (humans=97.1%; dolphin=82.3%) and the spheres (humans= 86.6%; dolphin= 88.7%). The human listeners reported using primarily pitch and duration to discriminate among the cylinders, and pitch and timbre to discriminate among the spheres. Dolphins may use some of the same echo features as the humans to discriminate among objects varying in material or structure. Human listening studies can be used to quickly identify salient combinations of echo features that permit object discrimination, which can then be used to generate hypotheses that can be tested using dolphins as subjects.     

The biosonar field around an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

The use of remote autonomous passive acoustic recorders (PAR) to determine the distribution of dolphins at a given locations has become very popular. Some investigators are using echolocation clicks to gather information on the presence of dolphins and to identify species. However, in all of these cases, the PAR probably recorded mainly off-axis clicks, even some from behind the animals. Yet there is a very poor understanding of the beam pattern and the click waveform and spectrum from different azimuths around the animal's body. The beam pattern completely around an echo locating dolphin was measured at 16 different but equally spaced angles in the horizontal plane using an 8-hydrophone array in sequence. Eight channels of data were digitized simultaneously at a sampling rate of 500 kHz. The resulting beam patterns in both planes showed a continuous drop off in sound pressure with azimuth around the animal and reached levels below -50 dB relative to the signal recorded on the beam axis. The signals began to break up into two components at angles greater than ± 45° in the horizontal plane. The center frequency dropped off from its maximum at 0° in a non-uniform matter.     

水下掩埋目标的散射声场计算与实验

水下掩埋目标声散射问题是识别和探测掩埋目标的理论基础, 是声散射研究领域的热点问题. 本文基于射线声学推导了掩埋情况下目标声散射计算的格林函数近似式, 并在此基础上进一步给出了相应的远场积分公式. 在有限元方法的基础上, 将推导得到的公式写入有限元仿真软件, 对软件功能进行拓展, 构建二维轴对称目标的声散射模型, 并计算掩埋情况下弹性实心球在不同条件下的目标强度, 获得了其散射声场随频率、掩埋深度、沙层吸收系数等参数的变化规律. 开展实心球的自由空间和浅掩埋条件下水池声散射实验, 利用共振隔离技术处理实验数据, 提取目标声散射的纯弹性共振特征进行分析, 结果表明可将其用于掩埋目标识别和探测. 最后利用总散射声场与理论计算结果进行对比, 验证了理论仿真的正确性.     

旋翼叶片回波建模与闪烁现象机理分析

对旋翼叶片回波建模与闪烁现象进行了综合研究.基于散射点散射系数和分布情况,构建了旋翼叶片回波的散射点模型,并分析了散射点分布对回波的影响;在此基础上研究了回波时域闪烁现象的物理散射机理,并结合时频分析和横向分辨率分析了微多普勒特征及时频域闪烁现象;对两类不同分布间隔的散射点模型进行了仿真,并与积分模型进行对比性实验,结果验证了闪烁现象物理分析的合理性.该研究成果在旋翼目标的探测识别领域具有一定的理论与应用价值.