Planar SAS for Sea Bottom and Subbottom Imaging: Concept Validation in Tank

The paper deals with a new concept of imaging technique based on planar synthetic aperture sonar (P-SAS). P-SAS processing takes advantage of the overlap of both ping-to-ping and track to track footprints to improve the imaging resolution in both directions. After describing the method, its implementation is discussed. The exact implementation [three-dimensional (3-D)] is defined and an approximated and faster approach [2timestwo-dimensional (2-D)] is then proposed. The gain in computation time and the possible loss in performances (resolutions, echo amplitude) are investigated by simulating a simple point target. The point spread function is studied in details. The new concept is finally validated by tank experiments (scale about 100) for both proud and buried target imaging     

SAMI: a low-frequency prototype for mapping and imaging of theseabed by means of synthetic aperture

The objective of the Synthetic Aperture Mapping and Imaging (SAMI) project was to develop and to test at sea a wide-band synthetic aperture sonar prototype, capable of providing high-resolution seafloor images together with bathymetry maps. This system used the motion of a physically small array in order to synthesize a longer array, providing images with an across-track resolution independent of both range and transmit frequency. Such systems are clearly very relevant to the high-precision long-range (low-frequency) imaging of the sea bottom. The project has led to the construction of a prototype tested at sea on several well-known areas for comparison with existing images and maps. These areas included several types of sea bottom, depths, and geological structures. The results obtained in real time, on-board ship, have shown the relevance of the proposed wide-band techniques. The many profiles produced have provided high-resolution images and maps of various seafloors. Interpretation by geologists showed that the system was capable of providing the same or finer detail than a deep-sea short-range, high-frequency system and maintained a higher resolution over a wider swath. The sea data processed have shown that the system provided maps with a cubic meter voxel. The resolution cell is constant over the whole range (50 to 2500 m) thanks to the dynamic focusing of the synthetic aperture. Postprocessing of a part of the data stored during the experiments has been carried out in the laboratory. This work has shown that techniques such as autofocusing can give an increase in resolution (i.e., gain in contrast and resolution of about 3 dB). The results displayed in the paper show the relevance of the techniques developed to the provision of a complete high-performance imaging tool for the oceanographic community     

Synthetic aperture sonar for seabed imaging: relative merits ofnarrow-band and wide-band approached

The advantages of using wideband sonar systems in underwater acoustical imaging by means of synthetic aperture (side-looking) sonars are described and illustrated through simulation examples. The simulations are conducted for two cases of sonar platform motion: perfect trajectory and disturbed trajectory. Several schemes used for wideband synthetic aperture processing are investigated and their relative merits (resolution and complexity) in the case of both disturbed and perfect trajectories are evaluated. Quantitative image evaluation is initially achieved through the evaluation of performance as regards resolution. The problems involved in the definition of the image quality are discussed