Direction of arrival estimation and self-calibration techniques using an array of acoustic vector sensors: Theory, algorithms and applications

Microphones are the most popular devices used to convert sound into electrical signals. However, with the advent of sensor technology, transducers capable of measuring vector quantities are opening up many new possibilities. One such device is an acoustic vector sensor (AVS), which measures both acoustic pressure and particle velocity, and has shown promising results with distinct advantages. In this work, we explore the characteristics of AVS arrays and their variations in comparison to the conventional microphone arrays for the purpose of direction-of-arrival estimation of far-field sound sources. Furthermore, we also look into one of the practical aspects of calibrating the AVS arrays and propose novel techniques to address this issue.