The problem of detecting buried objects has engaged radar system developers for quite some time. Many systems—both experimental and commercial—have been developed, including vehicle-mounted systems that look beneath road surfaces. Most of these downward-looking systems exploit multiple transmit and receive channels to enhance resolution in the final radar imagery used for target detection. In such a system, the configuration and operation of the various transmit and receive elements play a critical role in the quality of the output imagery. In what follows, we leverage high-fidelity electromagnetic model data to examine a multistatic downward-looking radar system. We evaluate the signatures produced by various targets of interest and describe, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the variations in target signatures produced by different system configurations. Finally, we analyze the underlying physics of the problem to explain certain characteristics in the observed target signatures.

Date Published: 31 May 2013
PDF: 11 pages
Proc. SPIE 8714, Radar Sensor Technology XVII, 87140K (31 May 2013); doi: 10.1117/12.2018335

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8714:
Radar Sensor Technology XVII
Kenneth I. Ranney; Armin Doerry, Editor(s)