Tracking of Evasive Objects Using Bistatic Doppler Radar Operating in the Millimeter Wave Regime

Abstract

In this study, we propose a range detection (RD) ability by a continuous wave (CW) bistatic Doppler radar (RDCWB) of small and fast targets with very high range resolution. The target’s range and velocity are detected simultaneously. The scheme is based on the transmission of a continuous wave (CW) at millimeter wavelength (MMW) and the measurement of the respective Doppler shifts associated with target movements in different directions. The range resolution in this method is determined by the Doppler resolution only, without the necessity to transmit the modulated waveforms as in frequency modulation continuous wave (FMCW) or pulse radars. As the Doppler resolution in CW depends only on the time window required for processing, a very highrange resolution can be obtained. Most other systems that perform target localization use the transmission of wide-band waveforms while measuring the delay of the received signal scattered from the target. In the proposed scheme, the range resolution depends on the processed integration time of the detected signal and the velocity of the target. The transmission is performed from separated antennas and received by a single antenna. The received signal is heterodyned with a sample of the transmitted signal in order to obtain the Doppler shifts associated with the target’s movement. As in a multi-in multi-out (MIMO) configuration, the presented scheme allows for the accumulation of additional information for target classification. Data on the target’s velocity, distance, direction, and instantaneous velocity can be extracted. Using digital processing, with the additional information obtained by analyzing the difference between the resulting intermediate frequencies caused by the Doppler effect, it is possible to calculate the distance between the radar and the target at high resolution in real-time. The presented method, which was tested experimentally, proved to be highly effective, as only one receiver is required for the detection, while the transmission is carried out using a fixed, single-frequency transmission.