An experimental design for evaluating sonar detection performance

Recently the authors planned and carried out an experiment for evaluating the detection performance of a sonar system. This experiment was designed with little prior knowledge and was primarily based on practical statistical and other considerations and the expertise of sonar engineers. Subsequently the results obtained from the above-mentioned experiment were used to modify the experimental layout and improved its efficiency in a D-optimal sense. This paper is focused on the experimental design process and will guide the reader through the authors’ reasoning, from the initial design considerations to the final proposal. The result is a design which meets the practical requirements and has an efficiency which is close to the optimal, albeit impractical one.