50 years of acoustic signal processing for detection: coping with the digital revolution

We describe a rather personal history of the transition from analog to digital signal processing for acoustic signals. This history provides an example of the impact of the huge advances in digital technology on those doing research and development in acoustic signal processing for detection that must parallel the impact in other scientific fields. Collaborating with BBN scientists from other disciplines, the authors have been challenged to find the best technical solutions to a given problem. Examples are monitoring airport noise and detecting sound from submarines in the oceans.