Numerous accidents occur each year due to wire strikes for both military and commercial helicopters leading to a significant number of fatalities. The millimeter-wave sensor presents itself as an ideal candidate for a solution because it can see the very small attributes of the typical power line/cable wire as well as operate when visual conditions worsen due to environmental issues such as fog, smoke or dust. This paper presents recent results on the development of a W-band FMCW imaging sensor with potential application to cable detection and imaging. The sensor front end is integrated with a radar signal generator, processor, and data acquisition unit for the purpose of closing the loop between prototype demonstration and system development. Real-time imaging is achieved at a 10 Hz frame rate with a field of view of 30°. A complete flight demonstration of this system was performed on a Honeywell-operated AStar helicopter to validate the flight-worthiness of the sensor under close to actual operational conditions. The development of such technology that can detect and avoid obstacles such as cables and wires especially for rotorcraft platforms will save lives, assets, and enable the execution of more complex and dangerous tactical missions.

Date Published: 26 April 2010
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 7669, Radar Sensor Technology XIV, 76690D (26 April 2010); doi: 10.1117/12.851042

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7669:
Radar Sensor Technology XIV
Kenneth I. Ranney; Armin W. Doerry, Editor(s)