Higher-order spectral characterization of termite emissions using acoustic emission probes

Abstract

A higher-order frequency-domain characterization of termite activity (feeding and excavating) has been performed by means of analyzing diagonal slices of the bi-spectrum and the try-spectrum, with the main goal of reducing subjectiveness in the task of detecting a possible infestation in a noisy measurement scenario. Five sets of signals of different qualities (SNR) were acquired using an insect-oriented model and a seismic-waves sensor. We conclude that it is possible to establish a higher-order pattern associated to the termite emissions, and resulting from the impulsive response of the sensor and the body or substratum through which the waves propagate.