Visualisation Tools for Design of Maritime Surveillance System

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to describe the application of Matlab for the design of the sensor network within a real-world Maritime Surveillance System. In the phase of planning and solution preparation of new Maritime Surveillance System project, it is necessary to analyse the zones of monitoring, sensors arrangement, and spatial distribution in order to make the best decision. With a goal to define the observation zone of interest, a software solution is made in Matlab using built-in functions for location computing in World Geodetic System, a graphical representation in Google Earth and a library that supports working with Google Earth formats for export. The sensors supported in this Maritime Surveillance System are Electro-Optical systems – multi-sensor cameras, X-band and Ku-band microwave radars and High Frequency Over The Horizon Radars. With this software solution, a particular sensor’s observation zones, along with global coverage zone are determined at the real location. Coverage diagrams are plotted as Google Earth objects, generating a KML export file. In this way, easy manipulation over potential solutions is provided, with high flexibility and portability, leading to a more detailed assessment and decision making in Maritime Surveillance System design.