Development of a Second-Generation Underwater Acoustic Ambient Noise Imaging Camera

A nominally circular 2-D broadband acoustic array of 1.3-m diameter, comprising 508 sensors and associated electronics, was designed, built, and tested for ambient noise imaging (ANI) potential in Singapore waters. The system, named Remotely Operated Mobile Ambient Noise Imaging System (ROMANIS), operates over 25-85 kHz, streaming real-time data at 1.6 Gb/s over a fiber optic link. By using sensors that are much larger than half-wavelength at the highest frequency of interest, so with some directionality, good beamforming performance is obtained with a small number of sensors compared to a conventional half-wavelength-spaced array. A data acquisition system consisting of eight single-board computers enables synchronous data collection from all 508 sensors. A dry-coupled neoprene cover is used to encapsulate the ceramic elements as an alternative to potting or oil filling, for easier maintenance. Beamforming is performed in real-time using parallel computing on a graphics processing unit (GPU). Experiments conducted in Singapore waters yielded images of underwater objects at much larger ranges and with better resolution than any previous ANI system. Although ROMANIS was designed for ANI, the array may be valuable in many other applications requiring a broadband underwater acoustic receiving array.