Artificial Intelligence Controlled Articulating 3D Acoustic Array

Acoustic sensors have many useful applications within the realm of battlefield acoustics. The focus of this project was to create an acoustic array which will be equipped with acoustic sensors, or microphones, in order to gather information about signals of interest. For our particular applications, the signals of interest may be things such as impulsive sounds (e.g. explosions), continuous sounds (e.g. equipment), long term transients (e.g. vehicle passing by), etc. The goal was that this array utilizing artificial intelligence will be able to pivot on its axis and select which sensors to use in order to improve its accuracy for a particular incoming signal of interest. The microphones are positioned along an oblique arm, such that each will individually detect the sound wave at its location as it propagates across the sensors. The precise spacing between each microphone allows the array to derive information on the direction from which the sound is arriving. The articulating nature of the array also allows it to track detected signals of interest which are in motion with maximum accuracy.