Analysis of Windscreen Degradation on Acoustic Data

Abstract : Windscreens have long been used to filter undesired wind noise from acoustic data. However, little research has been conducted to study the effects on acoustic data when windscreens are exposed to harsh environmental conditions. The physical property of a foam windscreen is inevitably degraded when exposed to prolonged periods of UV rays and dust such as that in Iraq and Afghanistan. This degradation, if not accounted for, can result in significant accuracy errors of mission sensitive technology used to process acoustic data for purposes such as localization and tracking of targets of interest. The following research compares, in a controlled anechoic environment, the frequency and phase response of a clean windscreen to that of several windscreens with varying amounts of dust and sun exposure.