Buried Fiber-Optic Geolocalization with Distributed Acoustic Sensing

We present a scalable method for geolocalizing buried fiber-optic cables using Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) and traffic-induced quasi-static seismic signals. Assuming access to one end of the fiber, the method fuses DAS measurements with vehicle trajectories obtained from either video tracking or vehicle-mounted GPS. The fiber geometry is estimated by minimizing the mismatch between the measured and physics-based synthetic strain-rate maps. The framework combines a matched-filter initialization with neural-network-based trajectory optimization, enabling robust convergence under realistic noise and trajectory-uncertainty conditions. Simulation and field experiments demonstrate sub-meter localization accuracy, often on the order of tens of centimeters, and strong agreement with manual calibration by tap-testing. This approach provides a practical tool for mapping poorly documented underground fiber infrastructure and for supporting urban sensing applications.

Training a Distributed Acoustic Sensing Traffic Monitoring Network With Video Inputs

Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) has emerged as a promising tool for real-time traffic monitoring in densely populated areas. In this paper, we present a novel concept that integrates DAS data with co-located visual information. We use YOLO-derived vehicle location and classification from camera inputs as labeled data to train a detection and classification neural network utilizing DAS data only. Our model achieves a performance exceeding 94% for detection and classification, and about 1.2% false alarm rate. We illustrate the model's application in monitoring traffic over a week, yielding statistical insights that could benefit future smart city developments. Our approach highlights the potential of combining fiber-optic sensors with visual information, focusing on practicality and scalability, protecting privacy, and minimizing infrastructure costs. To encourage future research, we share our dataset.