Synthetic Aperture Sonar: The Past, the Present and the Future

Abstract

This presentation gives an overview of the state-of-the-art in side-looking acoustic imaging using synthetic aperture techniques. It starts with the development of aperture synthesis, gives the historical background of synthetic aperture sonar (SAS), and then describes the salient differences between that and its electromagnetic equivalent; synthetic aperture radar (SAR). This paper takes a broad view of how SAS developed and where these developments occurred. We look at the past (with close attention paid to the patent literature), the present, as well as to hazard some guesses as to the future.