2012 European Intelligence and Security Informatics Conference
OptaSense
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Arch Owen Greg Duckworth
OptaSense OptaSense
Cambridge, MA USA Cambridge, MA USA
Arch.Owen@OptaSense.com Gregory.Duckworth@OptaSense.com
Abstract— The OptaSense® Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS)
system is an acoustic and seismic sensing capability that uses
simple fibre optic communications cables as the sensor. Using
existing or new cables, it can provide low-cost and high-reliability
surface crossing and tunnel construction detection, with power
and communications services needed only every 80-100 km. The
technology has been proven in worldwide security operations at
over one hundred locations in a variety of industries including oil
and gas pipelines, railways, and high-value facility perimeters—a
total of 100,000,000 kilometre-hours of linear asset protection.
The system reliably detects a variety of border threats with very
few nuisance alarms. It can work in concert with existing border
surveillance technologies to provide security personnel a new
value proposition for fighting trans-border crime. Its ability to
detect, classify and locate activity over hundreds of kilometres
and provide information in an accurate and actionable way has
proven OptaSense to be a cost-effective solution for monitoring
long borders. It has been scaled to cover 1500 km controlled by a
single central monitoring station in pipeline applications.
I. OptaSense Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) Technology
The enabling technology for our approach is the OptaSense
Fibre-optic Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) system. A
single 5U rack-mount DAS system provides up to 4000 “virtual
sensors” over 50 km that provide sensitivity to strain on
commercial cables by measuring the change in length and index
of refraction of the fibre induced by the acoustic or seismic
waves around it. It measures the picostrain-level signatures of
these signals using an interferometric approach employing only
the Rayleigh1 scattering from sub-wavelength heterogeneities
formed when the fibre was drawn. No special reflectors or fibre
Bragg gratings are needed, and it is applicable to any
unmodified fibre—even communications cables already in the
ground. By using very short optical pulses we can achieve
“virtual” strain sensors with element separations as small as 1m.
As shown in Fig. 1, light from these scatterers sums coherently
at the detector, and a typical coherent optical time-domain
reflectometer (C-OTDR) return for all channels at one instant in
time is shown at the bottom. In its simplest form, as the seismic
wave straining the cable changes the separations among the
scatterers, this coherent sum changes and is detected in each
range bin as the returned power of the C-OTDR trace. When
pulsed at thousands of times per second, the time series of the
detected power from each range bin set by the pulse length
(shown as 10 m) follows the seismic signal in the environment
around the fibre in that range bin.
978-0-7695-4782-4/12 $26.00 © 2012 IEEE 362
DOI 10.1109/EISIC.2012.59
Jerry Worsley
OptaSense
Farnborough, UK
Jerry.Worsley@OptaSense.com
backscatter from collection of Rayleigh scatterers in each range bin
Rayleigh scattering
50 nsec pulse of TS ~ - 80dB//m
coherent
light
10 m pulse length
Single Mode Optical
Optical Fiber (9 μm core)
Amplifier Optical
Power
Optical
Detector
C- OTDR Output
range bin
20 μs for 2 km
Time (microseconds)
Fig. 1: Operating principle for the current-generation commercial OptaSense DAS
system. Each range bin is sampled 2000 times/second (50 km fibre) to 20000
times/sec (5 km fibre) and provides the “virtual” strain sensor output. A single
system can provide 4000 channels programmable at 5, 10, or 12.5 meter spacings.
The DAS technique described above works very well for many
intrusion detection applications when the fibre is buried in the
ground. It is a very effective technology, and is currently used
very successfully for perimeter, border, and asset intrusion
protection. It can also support time-delay-of-arrival techniques
for off-axis localization of threats.
The next-generation OptaSense technology improves upon
amplitude transduction by directly measuring the true calibrated
strain of the fibre rather than a relative amplitude related to
strain. This provides a lower noise floor, phase coherence, and
stable sensor calibration, so that the data are suitable for phased-
array beamforming processing for signal gain and more accurate
localization. In this transduction method, two pulses closely
spaced in wavelength are injected in the fibre, separated by the
desired length of the virtual strain gauge sensors, e.g., 10 m.
Their backscatter interferes at the optical detector, and the
optical phase between the two scattering regions measures the
net effect of the combined strain and index of refraction change
in the sensor region between the two pulses. Just as above, for
all range bins, we get a measure of this phase for each optical
pulse pair, and thus a calibrated phase-coherent time series for
each virtual sensor every 1 m down the fibre. This new product
is used only for downhole seismic work at this time, but can
also be used for demanding border work in the future, such as
tunnel detection.
For long assets and borders, multiple 40-50 km systems can be
combined to monitor thousands of km as a single unit.
OptaSense works on any telecom-grade dark fibre: pre-
existing or readily installed using standard equipment and
methods. Using state-of-the-art signal processing methods,
OptaSense reliably detects activities of interest to border
security missions with extremely low false-alarm rates. (See
Fig. 2.)
Fig. 2 OptaSense has a demonstrated high Probability-of-Detection and low false
and nuisance alarm rates for detecting human foot traffic, vehicles, mechanical &
manual digging, and general human activity. Indicated detection ranges are
conservative, and events are often observed at greater ranges. Also shown are
external interfaces for remote operators and responders, and cuing of other sensors.
Conservative detection ranges are shown in the figure. Actual
detection ranges depend on soil conditions, cable burial
method, and event type, e.g., walking, car, backhoe digging,
etc. For example, Fig. 3 shows the nearly 10 dB SNR achieved
on each and every footstep 30 m from the cable in a medium
to fine sand pasture in east Texas, USA. The algorithms use
the spectral and temporal characteristics of these signals to
reliably differentiate threats from non-threats, such as animals.
Fig. 3: Signals from normal walking footsteps at 30 meters from the cable at CPA
are seen on more than 80 meters of cable at SNR(dB) values high enough for reliable
detection and localization. The channel time-delays are apparent in this figure.
The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has
independently evaluated OptaSense DAS for combatting
“border smuggling and illicit trafficking”2. They reported that
“The system met the DOE spec of 90% Ps (Probability of
Sense) for all activities and soil conditions tested.” This
included all seasons and demanding “stealth walking”
(wherein the intruder tries to walk as softly and quietly as
feasible), perpendicular to the fibre (to minimize time in the
detection area), and in frozen soil. (See Fig. 4.) OptaSense
users report virtually no false alarms due to system noise.
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Nuisance alarm rates due to threat-like clutter are site-
dependent, and for all of our installations are low enough that
we know of no system that has been turned off due to this
factor—a common practice when the nuisance alarm rate is
too high.
Fig. 4: Results from Oak Ridge National labs (ORNL) testing show DAS provides Ps
(Probability of Sense) greater than 90%, with a 95% confidence, for all threat
conditions evaluated. In fact, the system detected (and classified) all 142 attempts
by a person to cross the fibre, no matter what the soil condition or “activity” (e.g.,
walk, jog, or stealth walk), and the reported number is lower due to proper
statistical correction for sample size.
II. OptaSense DAS—an Effective Complement to Existing
Border Technologies
The concept of using DAS for border protection has been
proposed in the past.3 OptaSense has reduced DAS to practice,
and is a unique complement to other traditional border
surveillance technologies (e.g., radars, EO/IR, UAVs,
fences/barriers), providing border security personnel with a
cost-effective, rugged, and simple seismic approach. It has a
number of distinctive features:
• The system is truly persistent. No preventative maintenance or
downtime is required, and performance is not limited by foliage,
weather, and terrain. It is a good solution for rough areas where
radar/optical coverage is poor due to line-of-sight problems.
• In addition to reliably sensing traditional border threats (e.g., foot
traffic, vehicular traffic) it also detects asymmetric border threats
not addressed by some traditional surveillance methods. These
include tunnelling, low/ ultralight aircraft, and gunfire. (Fig. 5.)
• DAS requires minimal infrastructure buildout. It requires power
and communications only every 80-100 km, with two systems at
each site looking in opposite directions. The sensing cable itself
can provide a communications backbone. OptaSense may be
used with solar power systems (approximately 250W/system),
and there are no batteries in buried or hidden sensors to maintain,
as with conventional unattended ground sensors (UGS).
Fig. 5: OptaSense® DAS can detect and distinguish asymmetric border threats as
well as traditional threats. These are the unique time (vertical axis)-space
(horizontal axis) signatures of different threats that are processed for classification.
The operational characteristics of DAS are excellent, and
especially so where other systems are weak. (See Fig. 6.)
This makes it an ideal complement to other sensing
approaches.
 Operational Characteristics B. Monitor Access Routes to/from the Border Region
Surveillance
Technology Performance Maintenance Availability Adaptability Some regions pose natural geographic challenges to personnel
Only available and vehicular movement, enabling different surveillance
Very good Optical
Ground-
performance sensors
when weather
Sensor
strategies. In a heavily forested area, for example, travel
based and ground through the woods is difficult, so some combination of roads
when line of require locations are
EO/IR, and clutter permit,
radar
sight is periodic lens
and systems are
fixed. and rivers will be used to move any significant amount of
available maintenance.
maintained. personnel and material over larger distances. These roads and
Not persistent; Can operate rivers act as access routes to/from the border region. In very
Very good Require
UAV-based only suitable over wide
EO/IR, and
performance extensive and
when weather area, not dense unpopulated forest, there will only be a small number of
when assets regular
radar
are available maintenance
and ground fixed to one access routes. Illegal trans-border traffic will likely stay away
clutter permit. location. from population centres or checkpoints near the border, but will
Detection Require Very good Cannot be
Unattended
range not as periodic availability if scaled to move to these access routes as soon as possible. For these
ground
sensors
far as some battery batteries are long situations, a better strategy might be to monitor the access
sensors replacement maintained. borders.
Fibre
routes, rather than the border itself. (See Fig. 8.)
Short Available 24/7
No location is
OptaSense® detection in all weather
preventative fixed, but
Distributed range but conditions.
maintenance. many
Acoustic intrinsically Applicable to
Rapid repair/ different
Sensing dense many
replacement. threats can
coverage environments.
be detected.
Fig. 6: OptaSense DAS operational characteristics (performance, maintenance,
availability, and adaptability) nicely complement other border security technologies.
Cued assessment of DAS contacts by UAVs is especially promising.

III. Examples of DAS Border Employment Concepts

The most straightforward application of OptaSense for border
security is a virtual fence along extended stretches of borders.
OptaSense also enables new, innovative concepts for which
other sensors are not well suited:
• As the backbone for an adaptive surveillance system
• For monitoring of access routes to/from the border
Fig. 8: OptaSense can be used to monitor for illegal trans-border traffic entering,
exiting, and using a border access route (i.e., road or river). The fibre is deployed
along the length of the access route, instead of just along the border. This shows two
conceptual 40km fibre laydowns following Amazonian rivers in Brazil near the
Colombian state of Vaupes. Infiltrators might cross anywhere along the border, but
having done so, the terrain forces them to the rivers as these are the best routes
away from the border. By deploying two lengths of fibre along each river, this
border region can be effectively monitored, detecting personnel and boats.

• Opportunistic sensing with existing fibre infrastructure.
A. Backbone for an Adaptive Surveillance System
It is often difficult to design and build a good system in one try.
An alternative approach is to monitor traffic patterns with an
initial “backbone” surveillance system, and then incrementally
add additional sensing as required, as threat patterns reveal
themselves. In such a strategy, OptaSense is an ideal
“backbone”. (Fig. 7.) Once the OptaSense system is in place,
threat TTPs can be ascertained, and additional sensing (e.g.,
more cable, cameras, radars, etc.) added to address any
weaknesses. The core backbone OptaSense system continues
to work with the additional sensing layers by cueing these more
specialized and narrow field-of-view sensors for assessment.
C. Opportunistically Exploit Pre-Existing Fibre Optic Cable
Instead of installing new cable to address border security needs,
OptaSense can exploit existing cables. As an example, Fig. 9
shows a segment of existing commercially-managed network
fibre near the border in a sparsely populated area west of El
Paso, TX. Cables can be “dual-use”, wherein one fibre is used
for OptaSense to monitor general traffic patterns in this near
border area, while the others continue to carry commercial
telecoms traffic. This can reduce the cost of border coverage.

Fig. 9: Pre-existing fibre optic cable, e.g., this existing telecoms fibre west of El Paso
TX, can be opportunistically exploited to monitor long border stretches. (Image
courtesy of FiberLocator)

Fig. 7: OptaSense can be the initial "backbone" sensing capability in an
evolutionary border surveillance system.
[1] R. Posey Jr., G.A. Johnson and S.T. Vohra, “Strain sensing based on
coherent Rayleigh scattering in an optical fibre”, Electronics Letters Vol.
36 No. 20, 28 September 2000.
[2] B. Stinson, M. Kuhn, T. Donaldson, G. D. Richardson, N. Rowe, J.
Younkin, C. Pickett, “A Physical Protection Systems Test Bed for
International Counter Trafficking System Development,” Oak Ridge
National Laboratory, INMM 2011 Meeting Conference Proceedings.
[3] C.K. Kirkendall, R. Bartolo, J. Salzano, K. Daley, “Distributed Fiber
Optic Sensing for Homeland Security”, 2007 NRL Review.

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