This tutorial is intended for the audience of researchers, engineers and students interested in the area of underwater acoustic communications. Familiarity with the basic mathematical tools used in communications engineering is assumed, but no advanced knowledge of digital communications or underwater acoustics is necessary.
Signal processing methods based on adaptive equalization and spatial signal combining, which are capable of compensating for the induced signal distortions, are the focus of this tutorial. The tutorial is organized in three parts. The first part focuses on the theory of signal processing in the presence of intersymbol interference and noise. The second part of the presentation focuses on adaptive filtering methods used in equalization and spatial signal combining. The third part is devoted to demonstrating the concepts taught in the first two parts using examples of real underwater acoustic data.
In conclusion, current research efforts, which focus on reduced-complexity adaptive signal processing are outlined, and open problems in the field are summarized.
This tutorial is the first half of a pair of coordinated tutorials, with the second half on marine applications offered in the afternoon session. This session provides an introduction to the operating principles of SAR, addresses those issues in SAR technology of special interest to marine applications, and makes use of SAR imagery available from several spacecraft and aircraft platforms. The material is designed for the non-specialist who would like to understand and use SAR imagery of the marine environment without having to become a sensor specialist.
Lecture notes and examples will be distributed.
This tutorial is intended for attendees from all of the following sectors, academic, commercial, and governmental. It focuses on identifying what all three sectors should be expecting and demanding of program graduates and on providing specific recommendations and strategies for meeting these increased expectations and demands.
The capability and quality of graduates from marine science education programs is important because ocean issues are of widespread national and societal interest and concern. Producing graduates who have the proper capability and quality requires the reengineering of the current contents of marine science education programs. Graduates must possess the proper set of attributes to be able to satisfy the requirements of jobs in the marine workplace.
Graduates must also be prepared for continuing, lifelong learning. To meet these needs requires changes not only in the contents of the curriculum but in the educational delivery system itself.
Specific recommendations and strategies for reengineering marine science education programs will be presented. These will build from and capitalize on the existing strengths of our educational enterprise. The consequences of failing to change will also be discussed.
Evolutionary computation (EC) techniques are well suited to solving many inherently difficult or time consuming problems since they provide an efficient, robust method for searching large, complex solution spaces. These algorithms can be applied to a wide variety of problem domains and are directly applicable to signal processing, pattern recognition, automatic control, and other aspects of ocean engineering.
This tutorial presents an introduction to EC, including genet- ic algorithms (Gas),
genetic programming (GP), evolution strategies (ES), and evolutionary programming (EP) as
they pertain to the ocean sciences. Similarities and differences between EC and
traditional computation methods will be discussed, as well as their relative strengths and
weaknesses in different problem domains.
Applications and examples within several areas of ocean sciences such as signal
processing, detection, optimal surveillance methodologies, and autonomous underwater
vehicle (AUV) path planning will be presented. Attendees will gain knowledge in how to
choose and implement an appropriate algorithm for their own problems. Software code
suitable for execution on desktop computers will also be distributed to attendees.
Articulating the present state of the art, assessing competitor’s technological capabilities, and forecasting the direction and rate of technological advance are critical elements of competitive technology intelligence (CTI). This tutorial, which is offered in two parts, focuses on the application of technological forecasting and competitive technology intelligence in strategic technology planning. In achieving this goal, it covers both quantitative and qualitative analytical techniques for assessing the technical capability of your competitors and for predicting future directions and likely developments in a given technology. The emphasis is on exposing participants to the broad range of techniques available to them.
This session begins with an introduction to technological forecasting and competitive technology intelligence and their role in strategic planning for the enterprise. This is followed by a discussion of technology life cycles and the underlying dynamics of technological advance. Surveillance techniques are then presented, followed by a comprehensive review of the most valuable sources of technology intelligence data. This first part concludes with an overview of technology forecasting methodologies that aid in technology intelligence analysis.
The tutorial is oriented to scientists and engineers interested in the problem of space-time signal processing. The course is self-contained, however, a general knowledge of space-time signal processing is desirable.
This tutorial has three objectives. These are: 1) the presentation of the basis of modern space-time processing for moving antennas; 2) a description of the new principles of fast multichannel space-time signal processing with minimum calculations; and 3) a discussion of the advantages of using the new approaches in optimization for the new hydroacoustic technique.
A lot of underwater acoustic space-time signal processing (STSP) systems are exploited in complicated dynamic conditions. Because of the streams, pitching, rolling, and other destabilized factors there are antenna motions changing the location of the antenna, its orientation in space, and sometimes even changing its form. The tutorial presents new approaches in complex optimization of STSP. Two aspects of the problem will be discussed. The first aspect is the development of optimum and near optimum STSP methods that take into consideration complicated antenna motion, noises, and medium together. The second aspect is realization of the complicated STSP in millions of channels with minimum computational effort. The advantages of using the new approaches in hydroacoustic technique will be discussed.
This tutorial is the second half of a pair of coordinated tutorials, with the first half on synthetic aperture radar (SAR) principles offered in the morning session. This session provides an overview of the kinds of information available from SAR images in marine and ocean applications. Intended for the non-specialist, it addresses interpretation of SAR imagery of sea and lake surfaces, the extraction of quantitative information from imagery, and the utilization of images in coordination with insitu measurements, other remotely sensed data, and theoretical/analytical models. Lecture notes will be distributed, and extensive use will be made of the graduate-level textbook, Principles of Ocean Physics, by J.R. Apel (Academic Press, 4th printing, 1995).
This tutorial focuses on the simulation of onboard Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) sonar returns in shallow water. In particular, statistical models and algorithms are discussed for targets and reverberation from rough sea surfaces and rough bottoms. Sea surface heights are modeled as a Markov Random Field (MRF) followed by a nonlinear transformation. The bottom terrain heights are also represented as a plasma fractal field. The student will be introduced to the statistical methods for generating MRF’s and plasma fractals. He will also be given the tools to enable him to synthesize a variety of random fields with specified spectral characteristics in three dimensions and simulate the high frequency acoustic scattering of energy therefrom.
The tutorial includes an introduction to the fundamentals of high frequency sonar in addition to acoustic scattering from rough surfaces. Side Look Sonar for object search and Forward Look Sonar for obstacle avoidance are discussed in the context of signal generation, beamforming, and high frequency ray acoustics. The sonar equation is discussed in detail for his application. In addition to rough surface scattering, absorption of sound is a significant factor at these high frequencies. The student will be shown how to account for absorption effects in system performance prediction using the sonar equation. He will also be introduced to the basic methods of receiver design to accommodate the high sound absorption levels.
The tutorial includes an overview of computer graphics modeling principles used to visualize the physical environment. Computer simulation examples are used to demonstrate the use of the POV-Ray scene description language and accompanying raytracing software. This software is available for both the PC and the Macintosh. Computer graphics techniques for demonstrating the interaction of the sea surface dynamics with the scattered acoustic field are illustrated in the classroom using an animation player.
This is the second part of a two-part tutorial and delves deeper into the techniques for performing technological forecasting and analyzing technology intelligence data. This session begins with techniques for analyzing and extrapolating technology trends based on the well-known technology s-curve and will teach you how these techniques are applied to 1) assess the present state of the art and competitor capabilities, 2) analyze trends in technological capabilities and performance, and 3) predict the substitution of a new technology, innovation, or product for an existing one. Because the diffusion of technology is obviously more than a simple curve-fitting exercise, the session will next examine how the attributes of an innovation impact its diffusion in the marketplace and how these attributes may be used to assess the acceptance of new product introductions - yours or your competitors.
This session will also present judgmental and expert opinion- based techniques for the development of technology intelligence. Participants will learn how to use the Delphi technique, nominal group technique, morphological analysis and impact wheels for eliciting expert opinion.
Throughout this session of the tutorial, we will refer back to an integrative case study to illustrate how the respective technology forecasting techniques may be applied in real world situations.