Auditory issues in hand-held landmine detectors

Most handheld landmine detection systems use tones or other simple acoustic signals to provide detector information to the operator. Such signals are not necessarily the best carriers of information about the characteristics of hidden objects. To be effective, the auditory signals must present the information in a manner that the operator can comfortably and efficiently interpret under stress and high mental load. The signals must also preserve their audibility and specific properties in various adverse acoustic environments. This paper will present several issues on optimizing the audio display interface between the operator and machine.