A preliminary analysis technique for speech sound classification
Analysis method permitting English speech sound recognition by computer for different speakers
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Analysis method permitting English speech sound recognition by computer for different speakers
To protect tropical forest biodiversity, we need to be able to detect it reliably, cheaply, and at scale. Automated detection of sound producing animals from passively recorded soundscapes via machine-learning approaches is a promising technique towards this goal, but it is constrained by the necessity of large training data sets. Using soundscapes from a tropical forest in Borneo and a Convolutional Neural Network model (CNN), we investigate i) the minimum viable training data set size for accurate prediction of call types (‘sonotypes’), and ii) the extent to which data augmentation and transfer learning can overcome the issue of small and imbalanced training data sets. We found that even relatively high sample sizes (>80 per sonotype) lead to mediocre accuracy, which however improved significantly with data augmentation and transfer learning, including at extremely small sample sizes (3 per sonotype), regardless of taxonomic group or call characteristics. Neither transfer learning nor data augmentation alone achieved high accuracy. Our results suggest that transfer learning and data augmentation could make the use of CNNs to classify species’ vocalizations feasible even for small soundscape-based projects with many rare species. Retraining our open-source model requires only basic programming skills which makes it possible for individual conservation initiatives to match their local context, in order to enable more evidence-informed management of biodiversity.
Digital analysis of LANDSAT data for land cover classification projects in the Puget Sound region is surveyed. Two early rural and urban land use classifications and their application are described. After acquisition of VICAR/IBIs software, another land use classification of the area was performed, and is described in more detail. Future applications are considered.
Explosion monitoring is performed by infrasound and seismoacoustic sensor networks that are distributed globally, regionally, and locally. However, these networks are unevenly and sparsely distributed, especially at the local scale, as maintaining and deploying networks is costly. With increasing interest in smaller-yield explosions, the need for more dense networks has increased. To address this issue, we propose using smartphone sensors for explosion detection as they are cost-effective and easy to deploy. Although there are studies using smartphone sensors for explosion detection, the field is still in its infancy and new technologies need to be developed. We applied a machine learning model for explosion detection using smartphone microphones. The data used were from the Smartphone High-explosive Audio Recordings Dataset (SHAReD), a collection of 326 waveforms from 70 high-explosive (HE) events recorded on smartphones, and the ESC-50 dataset, a benchmarking dataset commonly used for environmental sound classification. Two machine learning models were trained and combined into an ensemble model for explosion detection. The resulting ensemble model classified audio signals as either “explosion”, “ambient”, or “other” with true positive rates (recall) greater than 96% for all three categories.
The large-scale field collection of acoustic data and their analysis are described in this review. The entire sound-field program has the purpose of solving complex problems of excessive noise propagation associated with the static test firing of large space-booster powerplants. The site of data collection has been Mississippi Test Facility (MTF), where far-field sound-propagation and correlated meteorological measurements were initiated in 1962. The statistical evaluation of sound-measurement data shows that the polar distribution of sound in the springtime (at MTF) is determined mainly by the temperature field of the atmosphere. Greater deformation of sound-intensity polar distribution occurs in the autumn as a result of the influence of the wind field. The data on sound attenuation as a function of distance from its source revealed attenuation in excess of the expected magnitude. The excess was mainly between 1 and 10 kilometers from the source, with maximum attenuation (17 to 18 decibels) near 6 kilometers. Excess sound attenuation was compared with calculated sound dispersion. For all sound frequencies in all seasons the deviation between reference and empirical attenuation values formed a bell-shaped distribution on a semilogarithmic plot. The physical causes for the sound- attenuation behavior are considered to be atmospheric diffraction and scattering effects. Statistical analysis of sod-intensity extremes indicated amplification of the sound signals by focusing which could be expected along selected azimuths. Empirical amplification values showed the maximum occurring in winter (50 decibels at 22 kilometers). For the analysis of correlation between empirical sound data and local atmospheric sound- propagation conditions, #e concept of analytical classification of sound-velocity profiles has been developed. Examination of over a quarter-million individual sound-velocity profiles indicates that 33 profile types for heights up to 3 kilometers constitute the empirical possibilities of sound-propagation conditions in southeastern United States. Since the focusing qualities of each sound- velocity profile can be determined as a class characteristic, the overall probabilities of focusing occurrence can he obtained. The severity of focusing, as based upon lateral spread of focusing areas, has been determined. The data for MTF indicate focusing is most severe in winter, with the direction toward east being most affected. Sound propagation is a fluctuating phenomenon because atmospheric conditions vary continuously. A measuring system for analyzing the nonstationary sound-propagation phenomena has been established. The analysis of the acoustic fluctuation data is sup- posed to provide "dynamic” perturbation functions of sound, which are to be superimposed on the related characteristic sound-velocity-profile type. The ultimate result of the program will be the establishment of reliable contingency tables showing the relationship between atmospheric parameters and far-field sound intensities. These data will be the basis for more accurate sound-propagation forecasting for static firing tests.
Abstract. Climate models are essential for our comprehensive understanding of Earth's atmosphere and can provide critical insights on future changes decades ahead. Because of these critical roles, today's climate models are continuously being developed and evaluated using constraining observations and measurements obtained by satellites, airborne, and ground-based instruments. Instrument simulators can provide a bridge between the measured or retrieved quantities and their sampling in models and field observations while considering instrument sensitivity limitations. Here we present the Earth Model Column Collaboratory (EMC2), an open-source ground-based lidar and radar instrument simulator and subcolumn generator, specifically designed for large-scale models, in particular climate models, but also applicable to high-resolution model output. EMC2 provides a flexible framework enabling direct comparison of model output with ground-based observations, including generation of subcolumns that may statistically represent finer model spatial resolutions. In addition, EMC2 emulates ground-based (and air- or space-borne) measurements while remaining faithful to large-scale models' physical assumptions implemented in their cloud or radiation schemes. The simulator uses either single particle or bulk particle size distribution lookup tables, depending on the selected scheme approach, to perform the forward calculations. To facilitate model evaluation, EMC2 also includes three hydrometeor classification methods, namely, radar- and sounding-based cloud and precipitation detection and classification, lidar-based phase classification, and a Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Project Observational Simulator Package (COSP) lidar simulator emulator. The software is written in Python, is easy to use, and can be straightforwardly customized for different models, radars, and lidars. Following the description of the logic, functionality, features, and software structure of EMC2, we present a case study of highly supercooled mixed-phase cloud based on measurements from the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) West Antarctic Radiation Experiment (AWARE). We compare observations with the application of EMC2 to outputs from four configurations of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) climate model (ModelE3) in single-column model (SCM) mode and from a large-eddy simulation (LES) model. We show that two of the four ModelE3 configurations can form and maintain highly supercooled precipitating cloud for several hours, consistent with observations and LES. While our focus is on one of these ModelE3 configurations, which performed slightly better in this case study, both of these configurations and the LES results post-processed with EMC2 generally provide reasonable agreement with observed lidar and radar variables. As briefly demonstrated here, EMC2 can provide a lightweight and flexible framework for comparing the results of both large-scale and high-resolution models directly with observations, with relatively little overhead and multiple options for achieving consistency with model microphysical or radiation scheme physics.
Climate models are essential for our comprehensive understanding of Earth's atmosphere and can provide critical insights on future changes decades ahead. Because of these critical roles, today's climate models are continuously being developed and evaluated using constraining observations and measurements obtained by satellites, airborne, and ground-based instruments. Instrument simulators can provide a bridge between the measured or retrieved quantities and their sampling in models and field observations while considering instrument sensitivity limitations. Here we present the Earth Model Column Collaboratory (EMC2), an open-source ground-based lidar and radar instrument simulator and subcolumn generator, specifically designed for large-scale models, in particular climate models, but also applicable to high-resolution model output. EMC2 provides a flexible framework enabling direct comparison of model output with ground-based observations, including generation of subcolumns that may statistically represent finer model spatial resolutions. In addition, EMC2 emulates ground-based (and air- or space-borne) measurements while remaining faithful to large-scale models' physical assumptions implemented in their cloud or radiation schemes. The simulator uses either single particle or bulk particle size distribution lookup tables, depending on the selected scheme approach, to perform the forward calculations. To facilitate model evaluation, EMC2 also includes three hydrometeor classification methods, namely, radar- and sounding-based cloud and precipitation detection and classification, lidar-based phase classification, and a Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Project Observational Simulator Package (COSP) lidar simulator emulator. The software is written in Python, is easy to use, and can be straightforwardly customized for different models, radars, and lidars. Following the description of the logic, functionality, features, and software structure of EMC2, we present a case study of highly supercooled mixed-phase cloud based on measurements from the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) West Antarctic Radiation Experiment (AWARE). We compare observations with the application of EMC2 to outputs from four configurations of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) climate model (ModelE3) in single-column model (SCM) mode and from a large-eddy simulation (LES) model. We show that two of the four ModelE3 configurations can form and maintain highly supercooled precipitating cloud for several hours, consistent with observations and LES. While our focus is on one of these ModelE3 configurations, which performed slightly better in this case study, both of these configurations and the LES results post-processed with EMC2 generally provide reasonable agreement with observed lidar and radar variables. As briefly demonstrated here, EMC2 can provide a lightweight and flexible framework for comparing the results of both large-scale and high-resolution models directly with observations, with relatively little overhead and multiple options for achieving consistency with model microphysical or radiation scheme physics.
This document describes the test-bed designed for the investigation of passive direction finding, recognition, and classification of speech and sound sources using sensor arrays. The test-bed forms the experimental basis of the Intelligent Small-Scale Spatial Direction Finder (ISS-SDF) project, aimed at furthering digital signal processing and intelligent sensor capabilities of sensor array technology in applications such as rocket engine diagnostics, sensor health prognostics, and structural anomaly detection. This form of intelligent sensor technology has potential for significant impact on NASA exploration, earth science and propulsion test capabilities. The test-bed consists of microphone arrays, power and signal distribution modules, web-based data acquisition, wireless Ethernet, modeling, simulation and visualization software tools. The Acoustic Sensor Array Modeler I (ASAM I) is used for studying steering capabilities of acoustic arrays and testing DSP techniques. Spatial sound distribution visualization is modeled using the Acoustic Sphere Analysis and Visualization (ASAV-I) tool.
The economic potential of utilizing an ERTS type satellite in the development, updating, and maintenance of a nation-wide land cover information system in the post-1977 time frame was examined. Several alternative acquisition systems were evaluated for land cover data acquisition, processing, and interpretation costs in order to determine, on a total life cycle cost basis, under which conditions of user demand (i.e., area of coverage, frequency of coverage, timeliness of information, and level of information detail) an ERTS type satellite would be cost effective, and what the annual cost savings benefits would be. It was concluded that a three satellite system with high and low altitude aircraft and ground survey team utilizing automatic interpretation and classification techniques is an economically sound proposal.
Four radiometric correction methods for the reduction of slope-aspect effects in a Landsat TM data set are tested in a mountainous test site with regard to their physical soundness and their influence on forest classification, as well as on the visual appearance of the scene. Excellent ground reference information and a fine-resolution DEM allowed precise assessment of the applicability of the methods under investigation. The results of the study presented here demonstrate the weakness of the classical cosine correction method for radiometric correction in rugged terrain. The statistical, Minnaert and C-correction approaches, however, yielded an improvement of the forest classification and an impressive reduction of the visual topography effect.
Signal analysis and classification is fraught with high levels of noise and perturbation. Computer-vision-based deep learning models applied to spectrograms have proven useful in the field of signal classification and detection; however, these methods aren't designed to handle the low signal-to-noise ratios inherent within non-vision signal processing tasks. While they are powerful, they are currently not the method of choice in the inherently noisy and dynamic critical infrastructure domain, such as smart-grid sensing, anomaly detection, and non-intrusive load monitoring. Currently, these models can be brittle, which makes them susceptible to noisy input. This also means they have sub-optimal stability of explanation outputs. Experts and technicians using these models to make decisions in real world scenarios need assurance that a model is performing as it is supposed to. The classification or prediction outputs it generates should be sound and grounded, not likely to change in the presence of shifting noise landscapes. In this work, we explore the idea of Neural Stochastic Differential Equations (NSDE's) to improve the robustness of models trained to classify time series data and the effect of NSDE's on the explainability of outputs. We then test the effectiveness of these approaches by applying them to a non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM) dataset that consists of simulated harmonic signals injected into a real building.
The author has identified the following significant results. Due to the fact that all of the ERTS-1 imagery has not been received, evaluation of this imagery will be delayed until all of it is at hand. It has been determined that the arbitrary classification of tree mortality into dead, dying, and light damage is sound in that each class is significatly different in terms of number and volume of trees killed. It has likewise been determined that the different classes of defoliation of light, medium, and heavy are significantly different in terms of the needles per tip. It has been found that all classes of tree mortality and degrees of defoliation are readily and accurately identified from underflight photos in color and color IR in both scales of 1/5000 and 1/18,500. Evaluation of U-2 imagery is incomplete. It has been determined, however, that through the use of RC-10 color IR it is expected to be able to detect all three classes of tree mortality and probably at least two extreme levels of defoliation.
A large scale program was initiated to identify IRAS point sources. At ROE the ideal facilities are at hand to undertake such a large program, viz. the rapid scanning capabilities of the COSMOS measuring machine to exploit the depth and resolution of the U.K. Schmidt Telescope J survey plates. Sources in 44 Schmidt plate areas were identified including 1300 sources and covering 1100 square degrees. The identification comprise 700 galaxy identifications and 600 stellar identifications. There are also about 40 sources with no obvious identification but which can be most easily explained by cirrus, confusion between two sources or sources just outside the 2 sigma error box. A major aim with the galaxy identification is to provide a data base from which sound statistical analyses can be made. Accurate blue magnitudes and morphological classifications for each identification were produced.
Productivity measures in logging involve simultaneous recognition and classification of event occurrence and timing, and the volume of stems being handled. In full-tree felling systems these measurements are difficult to implement in an autonomous manner because of the unfavorable working environment and the abundance of confounding extraneous events. This paper proposed a vision method that used a lowcost camera to recognize feller-buncher operational events including tree cutting and piling. It used a fine K-nearest neighbors (fKNN) algorithm as the final classifier based on both audio and video features derived from short video segments as inputs. The classifier’s calibration accuracy exceeds 94%. The trained model was tested on videos recorded under various conditions. The overall accurate rates for short segments were greater than 89%. Comparisons were made between the human- and algorithm derived event detection rates, events’ durations, and inter-event timing using continuously recorded videos taken during feller operation. Video results between the fKNN model and manual observation were similar. Statistical comparison using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test to evaluate measured parameters’ distributions (manual versus automated event duration and inter-event timing) did not show significant differences with the lowest P-value among all Kolmogorov–Smirnov tests equal to 0.12. Here the result indicated the feasibility and potential of using the method for the automatic time study of drive-to-tree feller bunchers.
Abstract Human identification and activity recognition (HIAR) is crucial for many applications, such as surveillance, smart homes, and assisted living. As a sensing modality, radar has many unique characteristics including privacy protection, and contactless sensing. Single classification systems have shown to be accurate, but for long‐term solutions both human identification (ID) and human activity recognition (HAR) will need to be integrated in one system where it can be utilised simultaneously. In this article, a novel radar‐based human tracking system is presented where three classifiers are utilised to identify the subject and his/her behaviour. For any kind of motion, the system tracks the subject and detect the type of his/her motion. Based on the detected type of motion, the three classifiers are utilised for identification and activity recognition. The classifiers are built utilising deep transfer learning where three radar datasets are established to train and validate each of the deep networks. To recognise six activities and 10 human subjects, the three classifiers, namely, HAR, Gait ID, and Heart sound ID, achieve superior performance compared to the best reported results in literature with classification accuracies of 97.6%, 100%, and 41.8% respectively. Three successful examples are presented to demonstrate the introduced concept.
- Our primary objectives: Incorporate all A-Train water vapor, including small-scale, horizontal and vertical water vapor structure from MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) and GPS (Global Positioning System); Use MODIS cloud classification that is collocated at the pixel-scale over the full AIRS/AMSU (Atmospheric Infrared Sounder/Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit) swath; Extend summaries to PDFs (Probability Distribution Functions)/higher order moments of water vapor sorted by cloud classes; Establish robust, scale-dependent statistical relationships between cloud, temperature, and water vapor PDFs for the climate modeling community. - We will also: Update our current data record to new CloudSat/CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation) cloud classification; Provide merged AIRS and MLS (Microwave Limb Sounder) water vapor profiles using averaging kernels; Include temperature and water vapor from models (ECMWF - European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) and re-analyses (MERRA - Modern Era-Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications); Classify METOP-A (Meteorological Operational Satellite-A) and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) satellite water vapor with AVHRR (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) during SNOs (Solar Neutrino Oscillations); Compare with the NVAP-M (re-analysis and extension of the NASA Water Vapor Project (NVAP)) water vapor climatologies; Use existing data sources and mature algorithms, and document processing algorithms.
Measuring the moisture content in flowing biomass is critical to processes such as liquid biofuel conversion, such as biogasoline, biodiesel, bio jet kerosene, etc. However, biomass tends to flow in aggregates, which results in significant inhomogeneities in the amount of biomass flowing in front of a sensor at a given time, and there can be significant overlap in the material properties of dry vs wet biomass, leading to poor signal-to-noise ratio. We present a technique for identifying biomass moisture content using a series of acoustic pitch-catch measurements to quantify the sound speed and acoustic amplitude through the biomass, in conjunction with classical machine learning techniques, including Naive Bayes, Random Forest, and K-Nearest Neighbors classification. We amplify the differences between the acoustic measurements in different moisture levels by collecting a series of pulse-echo measurements, which we sort in order of ascending sound speed. We test the accuracy of the technique on experimentally-prepared batches of corn stover biomass with specified moisture levels and measure the average error in the estimated moisture level as a function of the number of pitch-catch measurements used. We observe average estimation errors as low as 6.7% by increasing the number of measurements and optimizing the hyperparameters. This work presents a novel method determining moisture content in flowing biomass with inhomogeneous flow. Additionally, this technique has application in optimizing biomass conversion processes, as well as other fields including, paper production, natural fiber processing, and mineral extraction.
Methods for model explainability have become increasingly critical for testing the fairness and soundness of deep learning. Concept-based interpretability techniques, which use a small set of human-interpretable concept exemplars in order to measure the influence of a concept on a model's internal representation of input, are an important thread in this line of research. In this work we show that these explainability methods can suffer the same vulnerability to adversarial attacks as the models they are meant to analyze. We demonstrate this phenomenon on two well-known concept-based interpretability methods: TCAV and faceted feature visualization. We show that by leveraging the geometry of the problem and carefully perturbing the examples of the concept that is being investigated, we can radically change the output of the interpretability method. The attacks that we propose can either induce positive interpretations (polka dots are an important concept for a model when classifying zebras) or negative interpretations (stripes are not an important factor in identifying images of a zebra). Our work highlights the fact that in safety-critical applications, there is need for security around not only the machine learning pipeline but also the model interpretation process.