SEISMIC DETECTION OF INDIVIDUALS HIDING IN A VEHICLE

EXTERNAL MOONITORING DEVICES FOR DETECTING HUMANS HIDING IN VEHICLES ARE NEEDED TO PREVENT UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO RESTRICTED MILITARY AREAS AND TO PROHIBIT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM ENTERING THE UNITED STATES AT BORDER CROSSINGS. SEVERAL INVESTIGATORS HAVE FOUND THAT A SEISMOMETER, PLACED ON A VEHICLE, CAN BE USED TO DETECT AN INTRUDER'S HEART SOUNDS. IN THE ABSENCE OF WIND NOISE, THE OBSERVED SIGNAL LEVEL OF THE HEARTBEAT EXCEEDS BACKGROUND NOISE LEVELS BY 20 DB. THE VEHICLE'S SUSPENSION SYSTEM APPEARS TO AMPLIFY THE HEART SOUNDS WHILE ISOLATING NOISE FROM THE GROUND. PREVIOUS EFFORTS TO UTILIZE THIS METHOD HAVE BEEN HAMPERED BY WIND NOISE. THE WIND SHAKES THE VEHICLE, MASKING THE HEARTBEAT SIGNALS. PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS HAVE ALSO BEEN LIMITED TO DETECTING ONLY A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL HIDING IN A CAR OR TRUCK. UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF HEART SOUNDS HAVE BEEN INDENTIFIED THAT ARE LIKELY TO MAKE THEM MORE APPARENT IN THE PRESENCE OF NOISE. THIS PHASE I PROJECT WILL USE INNOVATIVE SEISMIC DATA ACQUISITION AND PROCESSING METHODS TO DETECT AN INDIVIDUAL'S HEARTBEAT AND THUS DETERMINE IF AN INTRUDER IS HIDING IN A VEHICLE. THE PLANNED METHOD CAN ALSO BE USED IF MORE THAN ONE PERSON IS HIDING IN THE VEHICLE.