Acoustic beam-based man-made underwater landmark detection method for multi-beam sonar

Abstract

We proposed man-made underwater landmark and acoustic beam-based landmark detection method. Beams in multi-beam sonar are independent each other, and each beam can be assumed as a feature to distinguish interesting area. When beam passes the object, the column array of sonar image is composed highlighted and shadow areas. Using these property, it is possible to recognize the underwater landmark by beam-based detection method. The performance of the proposed method is verified through experimental results, and this method can be applied to autonomous underwater vehicles' navigation.