Precision Placement of Thin Polymeric Silicone Films within Fabrics

Not Available Very low frequency (VLF) sonar signals are advantageous because target detection and tracking can occur at very large distances. Visual displays which transform the time-domain signals into the frequency domain and which average the signals over time are currently used for target detection and tracking. However, by averaging, important information about transients and other ocean acoustic events is lost. Sonar operators do not listen to the VLF signals because current hardware and signal processing techniques are not effective in this frequency range. Creare will develop a hardware and signal processing system to optimize VLF audio signals for human operator hearing. The system will enable frequency translation and compensation so that the optimized signal can be calibrated to the hearing response of a specific sonar operator. In addition, we will provide a suite of signal processing algorithms that can be used to determine the optimal method for aurally presenting VLF acoustic signals to sonar operators. During the Phase I project, we will develop the required technology to optimize the VLF audio signal, build a bench top system, and perform experiments to demonstrate the capability. During Phase II, we will build prototypes that can be tested dockside and at sea.