Wednesday, June 5, 2024.  Spanagel Hall 231.   12:00

Simulation-aided machine learning for underwater acoustic seafloor surveying

Alan J. Hunter,  University of Bath

Abstract 

Underwater acoustic applications of machine learning are challenging due to sparsity, lack of diversity, and uncertain labelling of training data. One way of mitigating this problem is to collect and label more data, but that can be expensive and is unlikely to fully address the issue. A complementary approach is to use simulation for generating synthetic data and augment the machine learning pipeline. This also enables explainability by encoding human knowledge of the underlying physics. This talk will explore case studies in automated image analysis for two related applications in naval mine-hunting and underwater munition dumpsite remediation.

About the Speaker 

Alan J. Hunter received the B.E. (Hons.) and Ph.D. degrees in electrical and electronic engineering from the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2001 and 2006, respectively. From 2007 to 2010, he was a Research Associate with the University of Bristol, Bristol, U.K., and from 2010 to 2014, he was a Defense Scientist with TNO (Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research), Hague, The Netherlands. In 2014, he joined the Faculty of Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, U.K., where he is currently a Reader and Deputy Head of Department in Mechanical Engineering. Since 2017, he has been an Adjunct Associate Professor with the Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. His research interests include underwater acoustics, sonar imaging of the seafloor, and autonomous underwater systems. Dr. Hunter is an Associate Editor for the IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering and a Senior Member of the IEEE.

Thursday, May 9, 2024.  Spanagel Hall, Room 316.  3-4pm 

Close-Range Remote Sensing Observations of Rocky Nearshore Hydrodynamics

Dr. Matthew Conlin, Oregon State University

Nearshore hydrodynamics on rough rocky shores are poorly understood relative to those on sandy shores. This is due primarily to a lack of observations, as in situ instrumentation is difficult to deploy in regions where semi- and fully-exposed rocks and roughness elements interact with shoaling and breaking waves. Close-range remote sensing is an attractive solution for the collection of nearshore hydrodynamic observations on rocky shores. In this presentation, I will provide a summary of hydrodynamic observations obtained on rocky shores around Monterey, and the insights they have provided, using unmanned aerial system-mounted lidar as well as mobile and shore-based video cameras. Observations include those of surface circulation in a rocky shore embayment, surge channel rip current dynamics, wave transformation and dissipation across a rocky surf zone, and shoreline wave reflection