Genetic optimisation of a plane array geometry for beamforming. Application to source localisation in a high speed train

Thanks to its easy implementation and robust performance, beamforming is applied for source localisation in several fields. Its effectiveness depends greatly on the array sensor configuration. This paper introduces a criterion to improve the array beampattern and increase the accuracy of sound source localisation. The beamwidth and the maximum sidelobe level are used to quantify the spatial variation of the beampattern through a new criterion. This criterion is shown to be useful, especially for the localisation of moving sources. A genetic algorithm is proposed for the optimisation of microphone placement. Statistical analysis of the optimised arrays provides original results on the algorithm performance and on the optimal microphone placement. An optimised array is tested to localise the sound sources of a high speed train. The results show an accurate separation.