Super-Resolution UWB Radar Imaging Algorithm Based on Extended Capon With Reference Signal Optimization

Abstract

Near field radar employing ultrawideband (UWB) signals with its high range resolution has great promise for various sensing applications. It enables non-contact measurement of precision devices with specular surfaces like an aircraft fuselage and wing, or a robotic sensor that can identify a human body in invisible situations. As one of the most promising radar algorithms, the range points migration (RPM) was proposed. This achieves fast and accurate surface extraction, even for complex-shaped objects, by eliminating the difficulty of connecting range points. However, in the case of a more complex shape whose variation scale is less than a pulsewidth, it still suffers from image distortion caused by multiple interference signals with different waveforms. As a substantial solution, this paper proposes a novel range extraction algorithm by extending the Capon method, known as frequency domain interferometry (FDI). This algorithm combines reference signal optimization with the original Capon method to enhance the accuracy and resolution for an observed range into which a deformed waveform model is introduced. The results obtained from numerical simulations and an experiment with bi-static extension of the RPM prove that super-resolution UWB radar imaging is accomplished by the combination between the RPM and the extended Capon methods, even for an extremely complex-surface target including edges.