12 Aug 2025

Acoustic Winter Terrain Classification for Offroad Autonomous Vehicles

Abstract: Autonomous vehicles can experience extreme changes in performance when operating over winter surfaces, and require accurate classification to transit them safely. In this work we consider acoustic classification of winter terrain, and demonstrate that a simple and efficient frequency-space analysis exposed to a small convolutional neural network, rather than recurrent architectures or temporally-varying spectrogram inputs, is sufficient to provide near-perfect classification of deep snow, hardpacked surfaces and ice. Using a dual-microphone configuration, we also show that acoustic classification performance is due to a combination of vehicle noises and vehicle-terrain interaction noises, and that engine sounds can serve as a particularly powerful classification cue for offroad environments.

2 Nov 2022

Willis Coupling in One-dimensional Layered Bulk Media

Abstract: Willis coupling, which couples the constitutive equations of an acoustical material, has been applied to acoustic metasurfaces with promising results. However, less is understood about Willis coupling in bulk media. In this paper a multiple-scales homogenization method is used to analyze the source and interpretation of Willis coupling in one-dimensional bulk media without any hidden degrees of freedom, or one-dimensional layered media. As expected from previous work, Willis coupling is shown to arise from geometric asymmetries, but is further shown to depend greatly on the measurement position. In addition, a discussion of the predicted material properties, including Willis coupling, of macroscopically inhomogeneous media is presented.

13 Oct 2022

Data Acquisition Software for Impedance Tube Measurements

Abstract: Transmission impedance tube measurements are necessary to measure the asymmetric acoustic property known as Willis coupling. However, software is required to measure and store data from an impedance tube for acoustic material characterization. This report details the overall structure of custom-developed software built from low-level functions. Software libraries from the data acquisition system as well as the HDF5 file system are the basis for the code. A command line user interface guides a user through the necessary steps in data collection.

29 Jan 2021

Optical and Acoustical Measurement of Ballistic Noise Signatures

Abstract: Supersonic projectiles in air generate acoustical signatures that are fundamentally related to the projectile’s shape, size, and velocity. These characteristics influence various mechanisms involved in the generation, propagation, decay, and coalescence of acoustic waves. To understand the relationships between projectile shape, size, velocity, and the physical mechanisms involved, an experimental effort captured the acoustic field produced by a range of supersonic projectiles using both conventional pressure sensors and a schlieren imaging system. The results of this ongoing project will elucidate those fundamental mechanisms, enabling more sophisticated tools for detection, classification, localization, and tracking. This paper details the experimental setup, data collection, and preliminary analysis of a series of ballistic projectiles, both idealized and currently in use by the U.S. Military.