A Distributed Microphone Network for Real-Time Gunshot Detection and Localization in GNSS-Challenged Large Areas

Abstract

This paper presents a scalable distributed acoustic surveillance system for real-time gunshot detection and localiza tion in large-area, GNSS-challenged environments. The system consists of multiple low-cost MEMS microphone array units (MAUs) deployed as distributed anchors. Each MAU performs edge-level sound-event detection using a lightweight Sound De tection and Echo Suppression (SDES) algorithm, followed by a TinyML-based classifier for gunshot identification. For detected gunshots, an enhanced Generalized Cross-Correlation (eGCC) al gorithm estimates intra-array time differences of arrival (TDoAs) with improved robustness under low signal-to-noise ratio and re verberant conditions. Angle-of-arrival (AoA) estimates obtained from individual MAUs are fused through a modified SCO-EV localization framework to determine the gunshot position in a global coordinate system. A misplacement calibration (MC) algorithm compensates for platform orientation errors, improv ing angular consistency and localization accuracy in practical field conditions. Extensive experiments conducted over coverage areas ranging from 4,985 m2 to 49,063 m2 demonstrate reliable operation across varying spatial scales. The proposed framework achieves a Matthews Correlation Coefficient (MCC) of 0.70 for gunshot recognition and average localization errors below 6.5 m over 25,000 m2 , while maintaining errors under 15 m at larger scales. The results demonstrate the practical potential of the proposed system for distributed gunshot surveillance in GNSS challenged large areas.