Methodology to distinguish features in complex and congested underwater environments
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Authors
Mitchelson, Matthew Arthur
Subjects
acoustic baseline
autonomous underwater vehicle
image processing algorithm
high-frequency sonar
enhanced methodology
autonomous underwater vehicle
image processing algorithm
high-frequency sonar
enhanced methodology
Advisors
du Toit, Noel
Date of Issue
2016-06
Date
June 2016
Publisher
Monterey, California: Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
The underwater community involves researchers who conduct various work and experiments below the surface of Earth’s oceans.
Today’s high-frequency sonar limitations do not provide sufficient information for the underwater community. There is a pressing
need to increase the accuracy of detection, identify items detected and obtain knowledge of missing details. Currently, no standard
methodology exists to evaluate the accuracy and completeness of sonar and detection algorithms; this is critical because both are
required to use sonar effectively. Such a methodology is required for the evaluation and comparison of sensors and algorithms. This
research investigated a proposed methodology to evaluate effectively underwater perception in complex underwater environments.
This methodology considered the challenges of underwater localization and other design factors during the use of a mobile autonomous
underwater vehicle and high-frequency sonar, and the employment of underwater signal and image processing
techniques. The focus of this research and contribution to the underwater community is an initial robust methodology the
underwater community may use to obtain relevant data sets. Furthermore, researchers can apply those data sets to custom
perceptors and algorithms, and evaluate whether or not these custom methods are capable of detecting the known features while
quantifying the missed features. Ultimately, the results of the signal and image processing, compared to the defined ground truth,
demonstrated that the use of the high-frequency sonar was not capable in distinguishing all smaller features and gaps between
underwater structures.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Systems Engineering (SE)
Organization
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.