Sensitivity Analysis of DOA Error on Least Square-based Source Localization in UWSAN

A sensitivity analysis is developed for a direction of arrival (DOA) based source localization method in an Underwater Wireless Sensor Array Networks (UWSAN). It is assumed that each sensor array in a UWSAN will yield an estimate of directions of arrival of underwater acoustic sources (DOAs). By collecting all DOAs in a fusion center, a least square estimate of the location of each target may be obtained. However, it is observed that the estimated DOA differs from the true DOA, called as the estimated error of DOA, which may severely compromise the accuracy of location estimates. Analytical expression of the first order sensitivity analysis of the accuracy of location estimates with respect to that of DOAs estimate is derived in this work. Experimental results validate the effectiveness of the analytical expression of sensitivity analysis through the comparison of the result on theory and that in fact. The performance of DOA error effect on source localization algorithm is analyzed in two parameters: distance and DOA between source and array node.