Object detection and discrimination in side-scan sonar by means of intensity contouring

Richard R. Slater; C. Robinson; Stephen Lingsch

doi:10.1117/12.357072

2 August 1999 Object detection and discrimination in side-scan sonar by means of intensity contouring

Richard R. Slater, C. Robinson, Stephen Lingsch

Proceedings Volume 3710, Detection and Remediation Technologies for Mines and Minelike Targets IV; (1999) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.357072
Event: AeroSense '99, 1999, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

A method of automatically locating mine-like objects in side scan sonar images has been used for building data bases which contain clutter density estimates as a function of geographic location. Such data bases are useful for both operations planning and for subsequent analysis of later side scan surveys of the same area. Since traditional side scan sonar object detection is focused on individual objects rather than a more general description of collections of objects, it is not immediately useful for the problem addressed here. For that reason, we have developed an approach that uses intensity contouring, followed by a simple geometric analysis of the contours, to find clutter. Discrimination is based upon object shape, area, and the presence of nearby shadows. We describe the incorporation of such an algorithm into a processing package known as the Unified Sonar Image Processing System, and we give examples of dummy mine detection and of clutter estimation in a number of side scan sonar images.

Citation Download Citation

Richard R. Slater, C. Robinson, and Stephen Lingsch "Object detection and discrimination in side-scan sonar by means of intensity contouring", Proc. SPIE 3710, Detection and Remediation Technologies for Mines and Minelike Targets IV, (2 August 1999); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.357072

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