THE HISTORY: The RAN Precursor Drone boats are remote controlled
vessels that tow devices (Dyads, Noise makers) that simulate the magnetic
field and noise generation of a larger boat. Any mines underneath the towed
devices will detect that a larger ship is passing overhead and explode.
OVERVIEW: The Drone boats can operate up to 10 nautical miles from the Command module,
which means there is no visual contact with the Drone boat. The systems on
the Drone boat did not provide any indication to the Command module that a blast
has occurred. Indication of a blast and its location provides vital
information that can be used to predict possible additional mine locations.
The Mine Detonation Detection System (MDDS) was developed by MeT to overcome
this problem. The system uses piezoelectric sensors around the Drone boat to
measure the time of arrival of the pressure wave from a blast. The MDDS uses
these measured timing differences to locate the position of the blast using a
mathematical algorithm similar to that used by GPS receivers.
MeT's involvement in the project involved the hardware and software design,
modifications to the communication protocol, system integration, third party
design validation testing and full military documentation.
