Acoustic Source Localization using Hough Transform
This is rather ugly solution out of conversation with MFTI students. Warm up for "Programming Kata".
Scene: cheap hardwire assempled into robot with 3 mics separated 10 cm each. On "Clap" robot is running towards clapper.
Simulation:
```julia
# Scene
c_speed_m = 340.29 # m / s
c_speed_cm= 34029 # cm/sec
# Grid size - area of interest, my assumption our mics would not pickup sound of clap (chirp) further than 10 m.
x_max = 1000 # cm
y_max = 1000 # cm
# Target position
x_t = 751
y_t = 657
# Sensor position
x1 = 035
y1 = 036
x2 = 045
y2 = 036
x3 = 035
y3 = 026
sigma_time=7.4E-9
# this is not correct value for this system - 7.4E-7 is GPS timing error synchronisation, assuming all mics connected by wire
real_distance1=sqrt((x_t-x1)^2+(y_t-y1)^2)
real_distance2=sqrt((x_t-x2)^2+(y_t-y2)^2)
real_distance3=sqrt((x_t-x3)^2+(y_t-y3)^2)
# time_2=real_distance2*10^3/c+(sigma_time*rand);
# TIME of Arrival
time_2=real_distance2/c_speed_cm;
time_1=real_distance1/c_speed_cm;
time_3=real_distance3/c_speed_cm;
TDOA1 = time_2 - time_1 + (sigma_time*randn()); # sensor 1 is a reference
TDOA2 = time_3 - time_1 + (sigma_time*randn());
TDOA3 = time_3 - time_2 + (sigma_time*randn());
TDOA4 = time_2 - time_3 + (sigma_time*randn());
'''
TDOA can be obtained using ROOT-MUSIC or cross-correlation techniques. In the past I saw XOR based TDOA estimator.
Applying Hough Transform approach (non linear, non-parametric etc estimator) with principle "throw everything on the wall, see what sticks", very bruteforce, not julia-like example, but very robust algorithm.
```julia
A_tdoa=zeros(x_max,y_max);
sigma_range=c_speed_cm*sigma_time/(sqrt(2))
tic();
for x = 1:x_max
for y = 1:y_max
sigma_range=c_speed_cm*sigma_time/(sqrt(2));
r2=sqrt((x-x2)^2+(y-y2)^2);
r1=sqrt((x-x1)^2+(y-y1)^2);
delta_r=(r2-r1);
p=(delta_r)-(c_speed_cm*TDOA1);
l=exp(-0.5*p^2/sigma_range^2)/2;
A_tdoa[x,y]=A_tdoa[x,y]+(l);
# very ugly second tdoa measurement TDOA2
r3=sqrt((x-x3)^2+(y-y3)^2);
r1=sqrt((x-x1)^2+(y-y1)^2);
delta_r=(r3-r1);
p=(delta_r)-(c_speed_cm*TDOA2);
l=exp(-0.5*p^2/sigma_range^2)/2;
A_tdoa[x,y]=A_tdoa[x,y]+(l);
# very ugly third tdoa measurement TDOA3
r3=sqrt((x-x3)^2+(y-y3)^2);
r2=sqrt((x-x2)^2+(y-y2)^2);
delta_r=(r3-r2);
p=(delta_r)-(c_speed_cm*TDOA3);
l=exp(-0.5*p^2/sigma_range^2)/2;
A_tdoa[x,y]=A_tdoa[x,y]+(l);
r3=sqrt((x-x3)^2+(y-y3)^2);
r2=sqrt((x-x2)^2+(y-y2)^2);
delta_r=(r2-r3);
p=(delta_r)-(c_speed_cm*TDOA4);
l=exp(-0.5*p^2/sigma_range^2)/2;
A_tdoa[x,y]=A_tdoa[x,y]+(l);
end
end
toc();
using PyPlot;
imshow(A_tdoa)
maxp_value = maximum(A_tdoa,1)
(value,y_est)= findmax(maxp_value)
maxp_value_x = maximum(A_tdoa,2)
(value_x,x_est)= findmax(maxp_value_x)
rmse=sqrt((x_t-x_est)^2+(y_t-y_est)^2)
```
Out of one measurement I manage to get fairly good results - 30 cm, super precision!
Feel free to use or ask questions, I applied some "heuristic" - sqrt(2) in equation should be something like `sqrt(1-cos(sqrt(angle between sensor and point on hyperbolae)))`