A novel approach to real-time range estimation of underwater acoustic sources using supervised machine learning

Abstract

The proposed paper introduces a novel method for range estimation of acoustic sources, both cetaceans and industrial sources, in deep sea environments using supervised learning with neural networks in the contex of a single sensor, a compact array, or a small aperture towed array. The presented results have potential both for industrial impact and for the conservation and density estimation of cetaceans. With an average error of 4.3% for ranges up to 8 kilometers and typically below 300 meters, those results are challenging and to our knowledge they are unprecedented for an automated real-time solution.