Land Mine Detection by Time Reversal Acousto-seismic Method

The objective of the proposed research is to develop new technologies and a prototype of the Time Reversed Acoustics (TRA) system of land mine detection. This system provides a high concentration of seismic wave energy at any desired point (e.g., on a land mine). It is the only system that is capable of focusing seismic waves in time and space, which highly increases the detection abilities of linear and nonlinear acousto-seismic methods. In Phase I, the prospect of concentrating seismic energy in time and space was confirmed and the feasibility of TRA system for land mine detection was demonstrated. The next step, to be realized in Phase II of the project, is to manufacture a prototype of the TRA system and develop optimal algorithms to detect land mines based on linear and nonlinear acoustic properties of the mines. The developed system will be verified in field conditions at U.S. Army CECOM Research, Development, and Engineering Center, Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate facilities.