Automatic microphone array position calibration using an acoustic sounding source

This paper presents a sensor array position calibration algorithm for determining the positions of individual microphones in a linear array automatically from time-difference of arrival measurements obtained from a mobile sounding source. The algorithm uses a nonlinear least squares method to determine the interspacing of microphones that are located along a fixed axis of a linear array. This method provides a means of establishing the positions of microphones for the purposes of acoustic localization and other beamforming applications, without the need to measure these distances by manual means. Simulations and some live experiments illustrate the method.