Abstract:

Acoustic returns from different types of structures can appear very similar, making acoustic image classification difficult. Current research is aimed toward developing novel methods of generating acoustic images that convey relevant information for target identification and classification. A color-mapping method [Boyle and Chotiros, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 99(4), 2553(A) (1996)], which maps an image's spectral content into color has been applied to several examples of broadband acoustic data, with apparent success. Structural features that produce similar echoes in amplitude and duration often emerge with clear differences in color according to their spectral signature. Possibilities for using color to convey acoustic properties other than spectral content are also being explored. One such method maps the phase of a signal into colors, while another is based on wavelet filtering of signals. The presentation will include descriptions of color mapping and related methods, and examples of their application to acoustic data.