Model for arbitrary array in air to ensure accurate acoustic-passive direction estimation

Existing models for special configuration array in air can not, in our opinion, ensure accurate acoustic-passive direction estimation. We proposed a model for arbitrary array in air that, together with suitable mathematics and engineering implementation, can do so. Keeping in mind the relation between time delay and target direction, we employed least squares method to establish our arbitrary-array model. For the case of presence of errors in array element positions, we can avoid modifying the software for direction estimation by simply altering some coefficients on the basis of easily performed measurements. With our arbitrary-array model, several factors including biases in delay estimates and errors in array element positions were analyzed, which have important effects on accuracy of direction estimation. Computer simulation results show that our arbitrary-array model can indeed deal effectively with errors present in array element positions.