Auditory signals for enhanced operator performance with hand-held mine detectors

Larry G. Ferguson; Nancy L. Vause; Timothy J. Mermagen; Tomasz R. Letowski

doi:10.1117/12.396239

22 August 2000 Auditory signals for enhanced operator performance with hand-held mine detectors

Larry G. Ferguson, Nancy L. Vause, Timothy J. Mermagen, Tomasz R. Letowski

Proceedings Volume 4038, Detection and Remediation Technologies for Mines and Minelike Targets V; (2000) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.396239
Event: AeroSense 2000, 2000, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

Selection of temporal and spectral properties of the auditory signal directly affects the listener ability to detect and recognize the signal. A properly designed auditory signal for mine detection operations should be resistant to predominantly low frequency environmental masking noises and easily hear by most users. Many of whom suffer form high-frequency noise-induced hearing loss. In fact, high frequency h earing loss caused by noise exposure is the moist common occupational illness in DOD as well as the USA. Regrettably, many current hand-held mine detection systems use a high-frequency pure tone or a highly- unbalanced high-pitch complex tone to alert the user to the present of an object buried in the ground. Inability to hear the auditory signal or even small variations of the auditory signal can result in an operator failing to detect a mine, a potentially fatal operator error. Unfortunately, proper engineering of the auditory signal is not as simple as selecting another lower frequency pure tone and the use of complex stimuli many be needed. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in detectability of a specific auditory stimulus as a function of the number of components added to the basic signal. Obtained data provide support to the doctrine that mine detector warning signals should be complex signals expanding over several octaves.

Citation Download Citation

Larry G. Ferguson, Nancy L. Vause, Timothy J. Mermagen, and Tomasz R. Letowski "Auditory signals for enhanced operator performance with hand-held mine detectors", Proc. SPIE 4038, Detection and Remediation Technologies for Mines and Minelike Targets V, (22 August 2000); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.396239

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