Volume sensor for damage assessment and situational awareness

A multi-sensory approach is being used to develop new detection capabilities for improved damage assessment and real-time situational awareness. As part of the Advanced Damage Countermeasures (ADC) program, the US Navy seeks to develop and demonstrate improved damage control capabilities that will be incorporated into new ship designs. This work represents the progress in the fourth year of a multi-year program to identify, evaluate, and adapt video image detection technologies for shipboard damage control. Various spectral and acoustic signatures, new video imaging techniques, and image recognition methods have been investigated and integrated into a multi-sensory prototype system that is able to detect event signatures within the volume of a space (i.e., a “volume sensor”) rather than relying on spot-type fire detectors. The prototype systems were shown to outperform the commercial systems for flaming and smoldering fires with a high immunity to nuisance sources. In addition, the prototypes accurately identified pipe ruptures and flooding events.