Target localization for a three-dimensional multibeam sonar imaging system

Abstract

One advantage of three-dimensional multibeam imaging systems is that they have the ability to image and track many targets concurrently in their field of view. In this regard, the accurate estimation of both position and target strength are important data which can be derived from the echo responses of an active multibeam imaging system. This article considers an algorithm which can be used to yield more accurate positional estimates for targets than available from the preformed beams of a given multibeam system: FishTV [, Deep-Sea Res. 42, 1495 (1995)]. The method refines a least squares residual of the predicted data versus observed data by adjusting the parameters of a model. The parameters are the position and target strength of the target. It is demonstrated that this procedure is a maximum likelihood estimator for position and target strength in high signal-to-noise. In addition, the shape of the least squares surfaces indicates that the algorithm is somewhat robust with respect to noise.