Methodology for locating sound sources behind a solid structure

A system for locating a sound source, comprising:

• at least four emitter/receiver pairs, each emitter/receiver pair of the at least four emitter/receiver pairs including a laser emitter and a receiver external to an enclosed structure, wherein the enclosed structure comprises a solid enclosure, the solid enclosure being denser than air;
• the respective laser emitter directing a laser beam onto a respective reflector surface location on an outer surface of the enclosed structure, the respective reflector surface location being caused to vibrate due to sound waves generated from a sound source at a sound source location within the enclosed structure, wherein the sound source is located in an elastic medium;
• and
• the receiver receiving vibrational signals from the laser beam on the surface at the respective reflector surface location and converting the vibrational signals to acoustic signals;
• and
• a processor coupled to the at least four emitter/receiver pairs for utilizing the acoustic signals to determine a time difference of arrival of the sound waves to the respective reflector surface locations to determine the sound source location within the enclosed structure based on the time difference of arrivals.