Acoustic camera modeling and compensation technique based on SONAR equation

Acoustic camera is a type of ultrasonic equipment used to detect or classify nearby objects located in water. The distortion of SONAR images acquired from conventional acoustic camera equipment inevitably occurs depending on the platform speed and operating frequency. This has not been huge concern because the platform speeds were low. However, more recently, a high accuracy of acoustic camera images has become essential in accordance with the development of unmanned autonomous systems. Additionally, a high speed of operating platform is also required. Therefore, there is a need for the study of image correction to reduce the distortion of SONAR images acquired from the equipment. In this study, we simulate virtual acoustic camera SONAR images by performing numerical modeling based on the SONAR equation to improve the accuracy of acoustic camera images. To verify the validity of the simulated images, we use the literature data and water-tank experiment data. Finally, we conduct the image compensation both in the direction of motion relative to the platform speed, and in the transverse direction relative to the platform speed and operating frequency.