Beamforming-Based Acoustic Imaging for Distance Retrieval

Beamforming is one of the ultimate opportunity to improve distance systems in order to detect punctual and widespread obstacles. Distance ranging for mobile and fixed systems, namely, cars, vehicles, vessels and airplanes, is a key issue for nowadays demands. Distance between cars and from obstacles can be established and measured using laser and ultrasound. Cloudy and foggy conditions are utmost requirements for testing distance ranging facilities. If based on ultrasound, they can be easily integrated by a sophisticated on-board software in order to perform new features. This paper introduces interesting aspects of defining new requirements for an acoustic imaging capable of reconstructing obstacle features by targeting it using a special array of sensors.