Target tracking onboard an autonomous underwater vehicle : determining optimal towed array heading in an anisotropic noise field

Abstract

In order to overcome the challenges that an anisotropic noise field poses for underwater target tracking, we conduct an onboard estimation of the horizontal noise directionality in the real-time processing suite of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) towing a horizontal line array. The estimation of the noise directionality is a precursor to another adaptive behavior: optimizing tracking capability of a towed array by choosing a particular heading that minimizes the detection level in the target's direction. In each distinct simulated anisotropic noise field, the AUV successfully calculates the optimal towed array headings based on the real-time estimation of the horizontal noise directionality. The findings reveal a clear advantage over the conventional broadside beam tracking method, with some limitations due predominantly to the noise field itself.