Shooter localization and bullet trajectory, caliber, and speed estimation based on detected firing sounds

Shooter localization and estimation of bullet trajectory, caliber and speed have become essential tasks for example in peacekeeping and police assignments. A novel approach for such estimation and localization is presented in this paper, as a numerical estimation method is applied to the problem. Both simulated and recorded gunshot data are considered, as a known bullet shock wave model and detected firing sounds are utilized in creating a likelihood function corresponding to different bullet states. For this, a state-space model of the underlying dynamic system is developed, and a well-known optimization algorithm is used to find the global maximum of the evaluated function. Two different criteria are used to measure the likelihood values, namely the Generalized Cross Correlation (GCC) and the Mean-Squared Error (MSE). The achieved localization and estimation results are accurate and applicable when considering the usability of the method against hostile snipers. The shooter position and bullet state estimation errors vary between 2% and 10%, depending on the estimated parameter at stake.

Shooter localization; Sniper localization; Shock wave; Muzzle blast; Simulated annealing; Monte Carlo methods