CMRE Research
Littoral Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance
The advent of quiet diesel-electric submarines operating in shallow waters poses a challenge for antisubmarine warfare. These shallow waters, known as the littoral zone, are a particularly difficult area for sonar surveillance, because of the amount of noise and reverberation found close to land. Current work at CMRE focuses largely on multistatic active sonar, a solution to finding and tracking the new generation of silent submarines.
Monostatic results (left) versus multistatic results (right) show the improvements in sonar data that can be gained through data fusion.
Today, sonar surveillance typically involves a ship towing an active sonar array that includes a transmitter and receiver. This approach, known as monostatic sonar, has limitations in tracking quiet submarines in shallow waters. A promising alternative to monostatic active sonar is multistatic active sonar, which involves multiple entities, or nodes, transmitting signals and receiving echoes in a coordinated effort to gain a more accurate view of the target. The nodes communicate with each other, and sophisticated signal processing software (data fusion) is used to merge the data from all of the different nodes, which can include arrays towed by ships, fixed buoys, and floating buoys.
CMRE research has shown excellent results using multistatic sonar systems, and work is underway on including autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) in multistatic systems. The Centre's program takes a three-pronged approach to research:
The development of a multistatic system that uses both fixed sonar buoys and mobile sonar devices, including AUVs.
The communications architecture that allows these devices to communicate among each other.
A strategy for deploying a multistatic system in a variety of ASW scenarios
Autonomous Undersea Surveillance and Intervention
Mine countermeasures involve finding the mine, classifying it, and destroying it so that it is no longer a threat. Currently, AUVs are being used to survey the seabed to detect mines; however, classifying the mines and destroying them still rely to a great extent on expert divers, who are placed in harm's way, and to ROVs, which are expensive if treated as an expendable device. AUVs have the potential to offer a safer, faster, and lower-cost solution for mine classification and disposal.
The Centre is working to transform the way mine countermeasures are conducted from a post-Cold War approach that focuses on post-operations clearance using surface ships to a quickly deployable, autonomous system that is scalable, cost effective, and minimizes risk to personnel. Recently, work at the Centre has focused on using AUVs for mine hunting, including developing techniques for handling the large data rates associated with modern high-resolution sonar and developing AUV systems that can make adjustments to pre-planned routes based on data that is gathered in situ. Now, the Centre's emphasis is expanding from using AUVs in mine hunting to using AUVs in mine identification and mine disposal.
Mine identification. Classifying mines once they are found has historically been a time-consuming, resource-intensive process. The goal of CMRE's research is to determine the feasibility of using high-resolution sonar mounted on AUVs for mine 'super classification.' Super classification simply means that an object is quickly classified with sufficient confidence to proceed to disposal. The task involves getting multiple images, or views, of the mine, fusing those images into a single image that can then be classified with high confidence using automated techniques.
Mine disposal. The emphasis in this area is on finding an autonomous and cost-effective solution. Currently, mine detonation weapons (MDWs) are typically guided to the mine by an ROV, which is often treated as being expendable despite its high cost. Self-guided MDWs exist, but they are even more costly. Emphasis is being placed on a stripped down, inexpensive MDW design that minimizes the number of sensors and processors on board while relying as much as possible on external support for guidance and control. A variety of options are being explored for transporting the MDW including AUVs, autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs), and airborne platforms (naval helicopters or unmanned air vehicles).
Maritime Security - Port and Ship Protection
Maritime security is a global concern. Small boats can be, and have been, used as platforms for attacks on ships in port and reported attempts at ship piracy are on the rise. Although great strides have been made in developing technologies for detecting possible attackers, more work needs to be done in developing appropriate responses once an attacker is identified. Therefore, the Centre's work in this area is currently focusing on independent testing and evaluation of nonlethal response technologies.
Ports, particularly civilian ports, are difficult to protect because of the density of the port environment, the amount of traffic on sea and land, and the larger urban area where ports are typically located. The fact that attacks could come from a variety of small, hard-to-detect sources - from surface ships to SCUBA divers - also complicates the task of port protection. This complex environment makes it difficult to monitor the port for hostile intent and even more challenging to develop a response that is nonlethal to the many people who are at the port and who may live, work, and recreate in the surrounding area.
A wide range of technologies are becoming available to address nonlethal responses, but there is a lack of objective analysis of these solutions. CMRE is in a unique position to analyze available solutions in an informed and unbiased approach, which will include selecting the solutions to test, developing test methodologies, conducting the tests, and providing results to NATO nations. This work builds on a previously completed project on multi-sensor harbour protection systems, which assessed the state-of-the-art technology, identified gaps in capabilities, and determined the best means to fill them.
Maritime Security - Maritime Situational Awareness (MSA)
In a world where small water craft can be turned into weapons against navy destroyers and pirates can hold ships for ransom, surveillance of the sea is of increasing importance. Because surveillance resources are inadequate to monitor the world's shipping channels, tools that help maritime surveillance analysts identify suspicious activity are extremely valuable. This is why CMRE is developing the Maritime Surveillance System--a tool that NATO nations can use to select the correct suite of sensors to monitor areas of interest.
The Maritime Surveillance System builds on recent work at CMRE that uses information from the Automated Identification System (AIS) and applies anomaly detection algorithms and filters to provide the NATO maritime surveillance community with information on unusual behaviour. Unusual behaviour might include unexpected ship stops or unexpected changes in course. The Maritime Surveillance System will require continued advances in anomaly detection as well as in two other areas of research: sensor performance and data fusion.
Sensor performance.
Currently maritime sensors include a mix of sensors, some of which work in a cooperative fashion (for example, the AIS and some of which work independently, for example, surveillance and high-frequency (HF) radar, active and passive sonar, and satellite-based EO (electro-optical) and SAR (synthetic aperture radar) imagery. The Centre is conducting a performance evaluation of all available types of sensors. Sensors are evaluated and compared based on common parameters (detection range, ROC detection performance curves, and localization accuracy) as well as parameters that are specific to the sensor technology (for example, daylight requirements for EO imagery).
Data fusion. Developing a clear picture of the maritime environment requires sophisticated data processing techniques. For this task, CMRE will expand on its existing distributed multi-hypothesis tracker (DMHT). The DMHT is a high-performance, computationally-efficient set of complex algorithms (or data fusion engine) that have been used to interpret data from underwater and surface surveillance. These algorithms are being expanded in a variety of ways, including the ability to use input from multiple sensors and the ability to fill gaps in temporal or spatial data.
Environmental Knowledge and Operational Effectiveness (EKOE)
The success of NATO forces depends on understanding the environment they are operating in and using that knowledge to make accurate decisions. In many cases, environmental knowledge is incomplete or contradictory, which can lead to poor operational and tactical decisions. CMRE is contributing to this critical area by developing a cost-effective integrated system that provides NATO militaries with the environmental knowledge they need to make informed decisions during operations.
The Centre is exploiting advances in information technologies (IT) to improve the accuracy of automated decision-making tools. Likewise, we are exploring ways to improve the speed and performance and reduce costs of assessing the environment using autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV). In particular, the Centre is using gliders as a low-risk, low-cost, covert data-gathering platform. Gliders, which use shifts in mass to change their trajectory and changes in buoyancy for propulsion, can be used to gather near real-time data and can be controlled to adapt to the ever-changing requirements of the maritime environment.
Capitalizing on advances in IT and AUV technology, the main goal of this research area is to develop automated tools and process for the following three tasks:
During Task 1 - environmental characterization-uncertainty is assessed using a variety of mobile and remote sensors, including satellite remote sensing and sensing using AUVs. The results of Task 1 are used to improve the high-resolution models that are developed as part of Task 2. In Task 2, tactical predictions are made using a numerical forecast and the fusion of data from multiple models. These predictions provide the inputs for Task 3, where environmental uncertainties from Tasks 1 and 2 are used by decision support software to optimize operational effectiveness and asset allocation for a given mission. These three tasks form a feedback loop when the results of Task 3 feed into Task 1: Knowledge gained as a result of decision making helps to further reduce uncertainty, ultimately increasing operational effectiveness.
This broad-based project requires research in all of the core competencies at the Center, including underwater sensing, underwater networking, data collection, analysis, modeling, instrumentation, and ultimately operational analysis for NATO militaries. The Centre is continually monitoring the success of this multi-faceted program through cost, performance, and schedule metrics that are gathered during a series of ongoing sea-trials in increasingly complex marine environments.
Modelling & Simulation
Modelling & Simulation (M&S) is a critical methodology with particular value for the NATO Nations. M&S allows the behaviors of both existing systems and hypothetical future systems to be analysed in a range of simulated environments (Live-Virtual-Constructive). This analysis, traditionally used for training, can be used also to improve the understanding and performance of systems, as well as to develop new concepts and technologies. Current work by the CMRE M&S team is allowing progress on core research and technology for key NATO partners as well as carrying out consultancy work for other beneficiaries such as the NATO Nations.
Virtual simulators can be used to display and manage interactions among assets, and federates of the system.
In addition to research that places a simulated environment around hardware and software, work is underway to leverage on synthetic environment to enhance and augment human capabilities. Researches to design and develop innovative Human-Computer Interfaces are on-going by using virtual and augmented reality based approaches. Another research area is devoted to understand the implementation of serious gaming in training, mission rehearsal and in the identification of human capabilities to improve the operational success of current and future systems.
CMRE has a great opportunity to take advantage of our varied, multidisciplinary team and environment. The adopted approach is to leverage for the development of simulator conceptual models on both the proximity with the operational community and the knowledge and expertise of the centre in the various R&D and engineering areas of expertise (robotics, environment, communications, and specific warfare areas).
Consultancy work is being carried out to support our customer to identify the future trends for several M&S application areas in NATO: training and education, planning and decision support, and logistics and deployment.
A key factor of the success of the projects in this area has been both the commitment and the solid technical and scientific background of the project team members, mixed with a real sprit of collaboration with the customers. Every day, the CMRE team contributes solutions that bridge any existing gaps between the technical, scientific and operational communities.
