Automatic object detection using dynamic time warping on ground penetrating radar signals

Abstract

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is a widely used non-destructive method in buried object detection. However, online, automatic, and accurate location and depth estimation methods using GPR are still under development. In this article, a cutting-edge expert system is proposed that compares signals from newly scanned locations to a target-free accumulated reference signal and computes a dissimilarity measure using Dynamic Time Warping (DTW). By setting a threshold on DTW values and monitoring them online, a significant deviation of the DTW values from the reference signal is detected prior to reaching an object. A potential burial site is therefore automatically detected without having a complete GPR scan which is a huge advantage compared to existing methods. Following the scanning process and investigating the potential burial site, location and depth of multiple buried objects is estimated automatically and highly accurate. The fully-automated analytics eliminate the need of expert operators in estimating spatial burial locations and perform accurately even on noisy media. Statistical proofs are provided that support the validity of the developed expert system in theory. Moreover, the analytics run in real-time that is plausible for on-site applications.