DoA estimation using sparse planar vector sensor array in shallow ocean

Coastal surveillance and harbour defence systems demand accurate estimation of direction of arrival (DoA) with minimum of number of acoustic sensors. A sparse planar vector sensor (SPVS) array architecture is proposed to estimate DoA of multiple sources in a range independent shallow ocean. Bearing localization is effectively achieved by using the subspace intersection method. This architecture significantly improves the acoustic performance in comparison with the conventional pressure sensor based planar architecture. It greatly reduces the number of sensors and signal processing complexity to the processing hardware. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the superior performance of the SPVS array architecture.