A profiling system for obtaining a characterization of a medium under a surface. The profiling system comprising a plurality of system components exchanging messages through a communication interface. The system components comprise an energy impulse generator, a sensing assembly, and a user-computing interface. The generator, for transferring an energy pulse to the surface, comprises generator communication means for exchanging the messages with other system components. The sensing assembly includes sensors. Each one of the sensors comprises an accelerometer for detecting an acceleration on the surface resulting from the energy pulse and producing a signal representative of the acceleration. Each one of the sensors also comprises an interface communication means for transmitting the signal representative of the acceleration and exchanging messages with other system components through the communication interface. The user-computing interface comprises interface communication means for receiving the signal representative of the acceleration and exchanging messages with other system components through the communication interface. The user-computing interface also comprises an interface processor for processing the received signal representative of the acceleration to produce the characterization of the medium under the surface.