NoiseSpotter®
Gather the directional acoustic data you need to identify risks in underwater sound.
NoiseSpotter® (U.S. patent 11,156,734) is the first state-of-the-art commercial vector sensor array that measures and locates underwater sound sources in near real time. NoiseSpotter® provides measurements of both acoustic pressure and particle motion from underwater sounds, like marine mammal calling and vessel activity. By providing the ability to hone in on a source location, users can obtain a more accurate quantification of underwater construction noise, like from offshore installations. Now commercial, military, and regulatory users can monitor sounds of interest through detection, identification, and localization to better understand source characteristics, schedules, routes, and impact to the environment.
About NoiseSpotter®
Operational since 2018. Developed by Integral Consulting Inc. in collaboration with H.T. Harvey & Associates, Noise Control Engineering, Proteus Technologies, and Sandia National Laboratories. NoiseSpotter’s® 3D acoustic vector sensor array measures pressure and particle motion at each sensor location. Time synchronized data logging allows for coherent directional processing to accurately obtain the location of a sound source. NoiseSpotter® also provides real-time telemetry of key data metrics such as sound pressure levels and three-dimensional bearings of one or many target sounds, to a cloud-based server to support monitoring requirements, mitigation measures, and to facilitate further processing such as source localization. Custom post-processing can filter out surrounding sounds for improved quantification of the target sound(s).
Features
- Robust Sound Pressure & Particle Motion Data
- Source Localization & Tracking
- Real-Time Characterization/Reporting
- Directional Soundscape Characterization
- Flow Noise Suppression
Why NoiseSpotter®
Traditional hydrophones measure only scalar acoustic pressure, providing no directional information about a target sound. NoiseSpotter® uses advanced vector sensors to measure both acoustic pressure and 3D particle motion, enabling real-time directional tracking and localization of underwater sound sources.
By capturing acoustic bearing data, NoiseSpotter® helps users identify, track, and distinguish target sounds from surrounding noise for clearer characterization of the underwater acoustic environment.
NoiseSpotter® also expands acoustic monitoring beyond marine mammals. While marine mammals primarily detect pressure, fishes and sea turtles are more sensitive to particle motion. By measuring both, NoiseSpotter® supports a more comprehensive understanding of how underwater sound affects marine species and ecosystems.
Use Cases
- Regulation / Compliance
- Supporting Environmental Impact Statements
- Supporting mitigation measures through real-time reporting
- Monitoring illegal fishing activity
- Tracking sound sources such as boats and underwater vehicles
- Scientific research
- Estimating and tracking marine mammal distribution and density
- Validating acoustic propagation models
- Evaluating particle motion effects on fishes and invertebrates
- Soundscape characterization
- Cataloguing biophony (e.g., fish choruses, marine mammal vocalizations)
- Cataloguing geophony (e.g., seismic and volcanic activity)
- Cataloguing anthrophony (e.g., shipping, pile driving)
- Developing acoustic indices of soundscapes
Specifications
| Frequency range | 10 Hz to 3 kHz |
| Acoustic fields | Pressure 3D particle motion |
| Number of sensors | 3 |
| Vertical spacing | Customizable Typically 25 cm, 50 cm, and 75 cm above seabed |
| Horizontal spacing | Customizable Typically 1.25 m |
| Sampling rate | 9.6 kHz |
| Operating duration | 78 days continuous recording at 10 KHz |
| Telemetry options | Customizable Currently sound pressure levels and 10 s spectra every minute |
| Depth rating | 200 m standard, can be extended to 1000 m |
| Intended applications | Soundscape characterization, marine animal monitoring, particle motion measurements, source localization and tracking |
Knowledge Share
CalWave, San Diego
National Science Foundation
Office of Naval Research—Vandenberg Space Force Base and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Offshore Wind Development News: BOEM Site Assessment and Construction and Operations Phase
Performance Characteristics of the NoiseSpotter: An Acoustic Monitoring and Localization System
Performance of an Acoustic Sensing Array in an Energetic Tidal Channel
Particle velocity is our jam.
Kaustubha Raghukumar, Ph.D. Senior Consultant
NoiseSpotter® is available for lease for a daily fee. We provide insurance at no extra cost. The system can be shipped anywhere around the globe. For more information, contact Kaus Raghukumar, Ph.D., at kraghukumar@integral-corp.com or (831) 576 2876.