Akoostix Inc. is three years old! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Akoostix is moving into its fifth year of business and is going strong. We successfully and efficiently completed all contracts prior to government year-end, during our busiest quarter ever. Some significant achievements include:

• Advancements in multistatic active sonar under contract to DRDC Atlantic including:

  • Development and evaluation of a first generation smart automation prototype. This prototype demonstrates that an appropriate combination of user input and computer algorithms (automation) can significantly reduce operator overload, while increasing system performance. In this case, DRDC's highly effective clutter mitigation displays were used to help the operator designate interesting contact. These contacts were then automatically associated to potentially related detections on other sensors, fused into contacts, and finally used to generate a track. This work was very successful and resulted in a number of valuable ideas that will be explored during the next year.

  • Development and evaluation of the first generation Integrated Tracking and Aural Classification (ITAC) concept demonstration software. Here Akoostix created an advanced contact tracker capable of interacting with DRDC's auralization-based classifier (and classifiers in general). The classifier is used to assist the tracker in associating the correct contacts with existing tracks for improved tracking, especially in high clutter areas. This work will continue into the next year with better integration and algorithm improvements.

  • Assisting with the design and conduct of experiments to evaluate new DIFAR sonobuoy designs and to gather data for experimentation in advanced multistatic concepts. This data will be analyzed in the coming year.

  • Assisting DRDC with improved environmental measurement and data analysis by improving systems used during sea trials, and developing automated data analysis algorithms and software that is now used to quickly derive environmental parameters such as transmission loss, reverberation characteristics, and multi-path delay.

• Advancements in marine mammal monitoring and mitigation under contract to DRDC Atlantic, including as a DRDC subcontractor in a contract for the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers Joint Industry Programme:

  • Assisting with the review of Active Acoustic Monitoring (AAM) systems that might be useful for detection of non-vocalizing marine mammals.

  • Analysis (automated processing and manual annotation) of a high volume of data (many days worth from 3 separate trials) to examine marine mammal vocalizations then compare these to automatic detector results across a number of sensor systems (sonobuoys, autonomous platforms, and towed arrays). Sensor performance, detector performance, and atypical sounds were all examined and recorded to the extent possible. This work included collaboration with the Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organization that supported Akoostix by providing valuable assistance in helping to identify and classify atypical sounds. TNO also collaborated by providing data from their Delphinus towed array and open collaboration during interpretation of their data.

  • Assisting with the design and conduct of experiments to evaluate marine mammal localization options (sensor configurations and processing options) for a variety of vocalization types. This data will be used as truth data during experimentation, algorithm development, and algorithm evaluation in the coming year.

• Advancements in passive acoustic processing for the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) and DRDC Atlantic including:

  • Significant advancements to DRDC's desktop passive sonar processing application including addition of sonogram enhancement options that, to our knowledge, are not available in any other processing system. These additions along with a wide variety of usability enhancements have significantly increased the user base and general utility. Akoostix expects this trend to continue as both DND units and other government agencies such as the Department of Fisheries and Oceans adopt the application, and Akoostix progresses internal research and development projects aimed at productizing advanced system implementations using the same software and algorithms at its core.

  • Assisting the Acoustic Data Analysis Centre (ADAC) Pacific with advanced processing of data from the Neptune project including advanced tracking of targets using data from tri-axial seismic sensors embedded in the Earth's crust at the bottom of the ocean. This approach has also been recommended for use in more conventional passive processing, and overland acoustic and seismic data processing.

  • Working with DRDC Atlantic and ADAC Atlantic to mine acoustic sensor data for anthropogenic transients and create a database in support of auralization-based classification research. This work also resulted in improved processes for analyzing and cataloguing acoustic transients.

• Progressing the design and development of DRDC Atlantic's automated mine detection and classification software to accept more sonar data types and provide template-based classification, while improving the overall design and function of the software. A derivative of this software will be created to run in autonomous collaborative systems, while the current version is used for autonomous mine hunting research and development.

  With a new research analyst on staff, Akoostix is on target to exceed both sales and revenue targets again this year. Akoostix' experience and capability continues to grow, as we demonstrate our strength as a provider of research and development and as a link between the research and industrial sectors.

Akoostix Inc. is three years old! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Akoostix announced a number of significant achievements as it moved into its fourth year of business. The business is strong and growing for the third year in a row, with excellent prospects for the future. Some significant achievements include:

• The competitive win of a Standing Offer with Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC - Atlantic) to support R&D related to the Software Tools for Analysis and Research (STAR) and Signal Processing Packages (SPPACS) that Akoostix has supported since inception. This contract brings together a strong team of subcontractors, and will allow the Akoostix led team to support a wide variety of research initiatives. Some of the more interesting work includes:

  • Better integration of classification features for improved tracking and contact-track association.

  • Development of smart automation tools that couple intuitive data displays, user cueing, and semi-automated detection, data fusion, and tracking.

• Akoostix was also very proud to deliver on the first iteration of a plug-in software framework for automated mine detection using sidescan sonar. This framework will enable researchers to use a variety of sonar data formats to test a variety of detection, fusion, and classification (future upgrade) algorithms.

• An Akoostix led team also delivered a detailed literature review to the LASSO project. This review composed of over 390 articles from a variety of sources enabled the team and DRDC to quickly ramp up on the state of the art in overland acoustics.

• Akoostix made significant progress in developing Marine Mammal Mitigation (MMM) tools this year. In December they delivered a detection module to the PAMGUARD team under a JIP project. This project included participation in a JIP hosted international symposium in Houston, TX, and resulted in presentations related to MMM and PAM at the International Sonobuoy Interoperability Conference (ISIC) in Washington, DC. Akoostix continues to work in this domain with DRDC, supporting various development and analysis contracts, and working as a subcontractor as they complete a review of Active Acoustic Monitoring (AAM) systems that might be useful for detection of non-vocalising marine mammals.

• Flexible, cross-platform sonar processing tools developed by Akoostix for DRDC are now integrated with the DRDC Northern Watch, Rapidly Deployable Systems (RDS), and Networked Autonomous Localisation System (NetALS) projects, and are in use at the Acoustic Data Analysis Centre (ADAC) and at the Canadian Forces Experimental Test Range (CFMETR). These tools allow users to perform passive processing and beamforming for virtually any time and frequency resolution on MS Windows, Linux and OSX platforms.

Work performed this year resulted in new records for both sales and revenue along with work in two new domains (minehunting and overland acoustics). The team looks forward to another banner year, as the standing offer enables new work to commence earlier than ever.

DRDC Atlantic in partnership with Akoostix has been awarded a contract to conduct a survey and review of active acoustic monitoring (AAM) technologies and methods. The contract, funded by the Joint Oil and Gas Industry Programme (JIP) on Sound and Marine Life, has been motivated by increasing regulatory requirements for oil and gas companies to monitor marine mammals at sea during exploration and production (E&P) activities, in particular those that generate significant amounts of acoustic energy. AAM is being investigated as a way of addressing the shortcomings of other monitoring methods, such as visual and passive acoustic monitoring, which are less effective in low visibility situations and when mammals are not vocalizing.

Today Akoostix was awarded its first contract to support the mine countermeasures (MCM) community. This contract requires implementation of a flexible framework for reading in and conversion of sidescan sonar data, performing automated target detection, and fusing detection results to arrive at an integrated detection decision. The work provides access to a new domain for the company, while exploiting significant overlap in reliable, reusable, cross-platform software development, underwater acoustics, and automated target detection. The resulting software will be modular in design allowing for the easy future inclusion of additional data sources and algorithms using a plug-in framework.

Akoostix has been selected to execute the Land Acoustics and Seismic Surveillance Literature Review for DRDC Atlantic. This contract will support DRDC's Land Acoustics and Seismic studies for Surveillance Operations (LASSO) project, and will assist them in refining their research direction. Our team will be summarizing the existing knowledge and current state of the art concerning the utilization of acoustic and seismic sensors on or near land. The emphases will be on their use for operational surveillance and on existing techniques and trends for target classification using on-land or land-based acoustic and seismic sensors.

Akoostix Inc. is two years old! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Akoostix announced today that it has exceeded its previous year's sales less then seven months into its fiscal year. Current year sales include a number of milestones:

• Largest single contract to date (in value),

• First international customer, and,

• First non-defence customer; all of which have resulted in,

• A new, full-time employee.

The scope of this year's work includes research trial support, system development, and advanced prototype development across:

• Torpedo defence,

• Active multistatics,

• Autonomous surveillance,

• Underwater communications, and,

• Marine mammal monitoring / environmental mitigation.

This project work will provide solutions to both the defence and oil and gas industries.

Akoostix sponsors the Maritime Acoustic Symposium organized and hosted by the Acoustic Data Analysis Centre - Atlantic. This bi-annual event brings together military and civilian experts in the field of underwater acoustics from around the world. During the symposium Akoostix will co-present "Mitigating Multistatic Active Sonar Operator Overload using Clutter Displays" with DRDC Atlantic scientist Nicole Collison.

Some (long overdue) pictures from the Q302 sea-trial supported by Akoostix Inc. in January/February.

Dave trouble-shooting the GPS unit on a LAND Buoy

Akoostix Inc. is one year old! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Akoostix has been selected by DRDC Atlantic and Omnitech Inc to support experimental development of an underwater acoustic modem. Our expertise in DSP and conversion / integration of Matlab software into C/C++ will play a vital role in the success of this project. The underwater acoustic modem is intended to support ongoing development of autonomous underwater systems that will be used to modernize Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR).

Akoostix Inc. announced today that it has won a competitive $30K CAD bid for support to the Rapidly Deployable Systems (RDS) Post Technology Demonstration Project (TDP) Systems Design Review and Re-engineering Study. This important work will investigate and recommend the best approach to use as RDS is migrated towards operational use. Both the processing hardware and software designs will be examined. The Canadian and some allied militaries have expressed a significant level of interest in using RDS operationally.

It was announced today that Akoostix Inc. has been awarded additional funding ($15K CAD) to provide increased trial support for the Marine Mammal Mitigation / Towed Array and Sonobuoy Multistatic Trials. Akoostix Inc. will be supplying a second person to provide trial planning, data gathering, and acoustic analysis expertise to augment DRDC scientists during the trials. These events will take place in the Caribbean between January and February 2007.

Today Akoostix Inc. announces its successful win of the competitive bid for Fighting Operator Overload. This $50K CAD project focuses on examining the reduction in acoustic operator's overload. The overload resulted from increases in system performance, processing improvements, and the introduction of new analysis tools. Specifically, the goal is to show how localization aids and clutter tools can be integrated to improve overall system performance and reduce operator overload. These tools - the localization and clutter algorithms - have been developed at DRDC Atlantic and incorporated into the Software Tools for Analysis and Research (STAR) suite over the past three years. Initial evidence of the usefulness of these tools has been demonstrated during STAR preliminary analysis of real data. Now the STAR tools will be used for more in-depth data analysis centered on standard measures of performance, such as probability of detection, probability of false alarm, and time to detection. The result will be a more quantitative measure of the tools' effectiveness towards mitigating operator overload. Akoostix has teamed with Human Systems Incorporated who will provide expertise and consulting on human factors engineering.

Akoostix has been awarded another LAND Buoy software upgrade contract. This contract will add the ability to control the Buoy's operation via Freewave radio.

Akoostix Inc. announced today that it has won a competitive $100K CAD bid for support to the Marine Mammal Mitigation / Towed Array and Sonobuoy Multistatic Trials. This work will involve upgrading the Acoustic Subsystem, a module used in the Slocum Glider and Stealth Buoy, to perform detection of marine mammal vocalizations and integration of data from detections into the Acoustic Cetacean Detection Capability (ACDC) workstation. These efforts will support improved environmental mitigation during active sonar trials. It will also involve developing data interfaces between sea trial data gathering equipment and STAR (Software Tools for Analysis and Research) via DRDC Data Servers. This contract will culminate in approximately 3 weeks worth of sea trials in the Caribbean in early 2007.

Akoostix Inc. announced today that it has won a competitive $60K CAD bid for support to the STAR Localization Libraries. These libraries are being developed to transfer multi-sensor data fusion and target localization capability from DRDC's algorithm prototype STAR (Software Tools for Analysis and Research) to C++ libraries that can be integrated into system prototypes. The algorithms are used to generate a much simpler presentation of detection information from multiple sensors that includes any or all of bearing, time difference of arrival and/or multistatic ellipse features. These features are fused to reveal multiple targets, each represented by an area of probability ellipse. The ellipse takes into account multiple system errors to provide a realistic view of target data.

Akoostix sponsors the Canadian Acoustical Society's Annual Conference in Halifax. Akoostix's president and VP, Joe Hood and Derek Burnett, volunteer as exhibit coordinators for this Canada-wide event.

Akoostix Inc. announced today that it has won a highly competitive $115K CAD bid for support to the Rapidly Deployable Systems (RDS) Technology Demonstration Project (TDP). Akoostix has teamed with Omnitech Inc. to provide upgrade and support services to the RDS. This will include software / hardware upgrades and on-site trial support of the Standing Contingent Force (SCF) sea trial taking place off of the Carolina's this Fall. This strategic win has proven that Akoostix is a strong competitor in the acoustic R&D arena

Akoostix has been awarded a small LAND Buoy software upgrade contract.

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