Opportunity for Joint Development of Sensors Systems and Sensor Swarms with Turkish Counterparts
Defence Turkey: Could you please inform us about the structure of Microflown AVISA, an expert on 3D Acoustic Situational Awareness?
The Microflown sensor was invented in 1994. It is the world’s only true acoustic particle velocity sensor designed to operate in air.
From around 2004, the sensor has become widely accepted, primarily in the automotive industry. Microflown Technologies was founded and the technology was used to improve the interior sound quality of the products of almost all major car manufacturers.
Microflown AVISA was founded in 2011 for adapting the Microflown Sensor to defense applications. It is a Dutch based company using the same cutting-edge technology, operating under Microflown Holding which also owns Microflown Technologies B.V. that provides the same technology for the commercial (mostly automotive) market needs.
Microflown AVISA develops highly accurate and reliable acoustic gunshot and artillery localization systems, based on its world-wide unique and extremely small Acoustic Particle Velocity Sensor technology. The core product is the Acoustic Multi-Mission Sensor (AMMS).
Microflown AVISA provides complete. Our mission is detecting, localizing, and classifying (tracking) all sorts of audible threats including small arms fire, mortars and aerial platforms. We are developing this detection capability from different platforms: vehicles, UAVs, helicopters and unattended ground sensors.
Defence Turkey: Could you please inform us about your capabilities and products?
Microflown AVISA’s products are based on The Microflown sensor. Microflown sensor consists of two wires which are heated to 200°C above the ambient temperature. As air flows across the sensor, the upstream wire cools down and gives off some heat to the passing air. Hence, the downstream wire cools down less due to the warmer air. This difference in temperature is measured electrically, making it possible to measure the acoustic particle velocity directly.
Based on this technology, Microflown AVISA’s main product is the AMMS, namely acoustic multi-mission sensor.
An AMMS is a low SWaP(size, weight and power), the AMMS provides a true multi-threat localisation capability, enabling the end user to locate Small Arms Fire (SAF), Rockets, Artillery and Mortars (RAM) and tonal sources with an outstanding directional accuracy of down to 1.5 degrees.
AMMS measures acoustic particle velocity which has directionality, instead of the sound pressure which is a scalar parameter. Vehicle and ground based AMMS has been fielded with the Dutch Armed Forces and has proven outstanding results, as confirmed by the world’s leading army research institutes. It outperforms the traditional sound pressure measuring systems in terms of reliability, detection range and miss distance.
AMMS is low size weight and power. Unattended sensors can stay in the mission area for very long periods of time and provide acoustic ISR to the end-user.
As the AMMS does not have any membrane/resonating part it is a very broad-banded and reliable sensor as experienced by the end-users so far.
Depending on the application and user needs, Microflown AVISA provides a single AMMS or a network of AMMS for detecting acoustic events and providing acoustic situational awareness in a designated area of interest.
Our main products are Compound Protection, RAM-SCORE, UAV / Acoustic Pointer and V-AMMS.
Compound Protection system detects gunshots and mortars/artillery to protect a compound area. It uses a typical network of 5 AMMS. It triggers an audio alarm for watch keepers/duty officers. It is the only system out on the market that reliably detects both gunshots and mortars. This functionality is enabled by the multi-mission-capable nature of the sensor. The system can also be integrated with a PTZ camera or field surveillance radar to cue these sensors to acoustic events in real-time.
RAM-SCORE is an acoustic detection system for training (target practicing)/ ammunition tests. It uses a typical network of 8 AMMS. The system triggers audio alarms for defined safety areas. The system generates firing table data automatically in real time and has the capability to provide Point of Impact (or airburst) and Point of Origin.
RAM-SCORE calculates Time of Flight, attained range and azimuth for each shell.
V-AMMS is the name we give to the vehicle mounted AMMS systems. It enables acoustic detection against gunshots. The system uses single AMMS for each vehicle. System triggers audio alarms and shows the gunshot location and direction in real-time to the driver and gunner.
Acoustic Pointer is our latest development to integrate on hand-launched UAVs. It is the next generation of AMMS system for detection of RAM and SAF from the air. It has a smaller footprint and a more complex packaging that contains Geo-location, Datalink and power. This stand-alone package is easily integrated without complex integration processes. If required by the end-user, the system can also be integrated with on-board sensors to cue them in real-time to acoustic events.
Defence Turkey: What are technological competences and specifications of Microflown’s “Clip on Acoustic Pointer for Mini UAVs”?
Microflown AVISA developed the acoustic pointer for small, hand-launched UAVs to relieve the UAV operators from `looking from a straw ` situation.
We first talked to small UAV operators. They had complaints about having a hard time to detect and identify ground movements and events with small cameras that have limited range and limited field of regard. They had trouble identifying snipers and artillery locations which are especially on the move and changing locations frequently.
To overcome this situation, we are now offering our Acoustic Pointer that detect gunshots, artillery shots and other vehicles, providing 360 degrees situational awareness to the operators.
This unique localisation system is considered to be a “game changer” for the battlefield by the Netherlands Armed Forces, which has funded the development of this technology, giving ears to UAVs.
To eliminate the need for complex integrations and long lead-times, Microflown AVISA offers a stand-alone product. Acoustic Pointer has its own Geo-location, Datalink and Power which enables easy integration and reduces the long integration project scheduling.
Defence Turkey: Over the years, what activities have you performed in Turkey and what are your future plans for Turkey?
Microflown AVISA has been active in Turkey for a long time now. We have been in IDEF 2013 and 2015. Turkey has an apparent need for gunshot localisation systems for various applications and Microflown AVISA has been working with Turkish counterparts to provide this much-needed capability to Turkey.
Personally, I know that Turkey has the capacity to help develop this sensor technology. Therefore, we are also looking for joint development of sensors systems and sensor swarms with Turkish counterparts.
Defence Turkey: Could you please share details with us about your R&D activities on new platforms and new technologies?
Microflown AVISA is a leading acoustic R&D firm. We approach problems with an out of the box view and have a fast development capability. As Microflown AVISA we are involved in many European and NATO studies for sensor development and applications.
Our latest developments are SKYSENTRY system that acoustically detects UAVs, we are trying to miniaturize our technology and apply man-portable acoustic sensors. We are also developing gunshot detection systems from helicopters.
SKYSENTRY; is a Dutch government funded project to detect the emerging threat of small UAVs.
SKYSENTRY is an acoustic vector sensor array that uses the commercially available AMMS sensors technology to distinguish between tonal sound sources, broad-banded sound sources and background noise to classify each source and identify possible flying objects. When an aerial vehicle is detected the system reports possible incoming UAVs and other aerial vehicles.
SKYSENTRY system has been tested and displayed in real-time scenarios tracking and identifying very small (less than 2kg) UAVs.
ACHOFILO:
Together with the Dutch Armed Forces on June the 7th 2013 extensive Small Arms Fire tests were performed with the acoustic vector sensor (AVS) from a Dutch Cougar helicopter platform.
During the tests the Acoustic Vector Sensor have proven to function successfully as an Acoustic Hostile Fire Indicator (ACHOFILO)
Built on this experience, now Microflown AVISA is developing hostile fire indicators for helicopters to add the additional situational awareness needed for low-flying helicopters.
Defence Turkey: Finally would you like to add some information for our readers?
We would like to thank Defence-Turkey for this opportunity.
In general, we are very pleased with the interest from Turkey and would like to see Turkey as a key partner.
We are inviting every interested party to Eurosatory exhibition held in Paris in June 2016 to see and discuss our products at booth B390, hall 6.
