3D Synthetic Aperture Research Articles

3D synthetic aperture and steering for controlled-source electromagnetics

Controlled-source electromagnetics (CSEM) is a geophysical electromagnetic method used to detect hydrocarbon reservoirs in marine settings. Used mainly as a derisking tool by the industry, the applicability of CSEM is limited by the size of the target, low-spatial resolution, and depth of the reservoir. Synthetic aperture, a technique that increases the size of the source by combining multiple individual sources, has been applied to CSEM fields to increase the detectability of hydrocarbon reservoirs. We apply synthetic aperture to a 3D synthetic CSEM field with a 2D source distribution to evaluate the benefits of the technique. The 2D source allows steering in the inline and crossline directions. We present an optimized beamforming of the 2D source, which increases the detectability of the reservoir. With only a portion of three towlines spaced 2 km apart, we enhance the anomaly from the target by 80%. We also demonstrate the benefits of using the Poynting vector to view CSEM fields in 3D. Synthetic aperture, beamforming, and Poynting vectors are tools that will increase the amount of information gained from CSEM survey data.

High Performance Imaging through Occlusion via Energy Minimization-Based Optimal Camera Selection

Seeing an object in a cluttered scene with severe occlusion is a significantly challenging task for many computer vision applications. Although camera array synthetic aperture imaging has proven to be an effective way for occluded object imaging, its imaging quality is often significantly decreased by the shadows of the foreground occluder. To overcome this problem, some recent research has been presented to label the foreground occluder via object segmentation or 3D reconstruction. However, these methods usually fail in the case of complicated occluder or severe occlusion. In this paper, we present a novel optimal camera selection algorithm to handle the problem above. Firstly, in contrast to the traditional synthetic aperture photography methods, we formulate the occluded object imaging as a problem of visible light ray selection from the optimal camera view. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time to “mosaic” a high quality occluded object image via selecting multi-view optimal visible light rays from a camera array or a single moving camera. Secondly, a greedy optimization framework is presented to propagate the visibility information among various depth focus planes. Thirdly, a multiple label energy minimization formulation is designed in each plane to select the optimal camera view. The energy is estimated in the 3D synthetic aperture image volume and integrates the multiple view intensity consistency, previous visibility property and camera view smoothness, which is minimized via graph cuts. Finally, we compare this approach with the traditional synthetic aperture imaging algorithms on UCSD light field datasets and our own datasets captured in indoor and outdoor environment, and extensive experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of our approach.

Three-dimensional bubble field resolution using synthetic aperture imaging: application to a plunging jet

A methodology for resolving three-dimensional (3D) bubble fields using 3D synthetic aperture imaging (SA imaging) is developed and applied to the bubbly flows induced by a turbulent circular plunging jet. 3D SA imaging involves capturing entirely in-focus images in an array of cameras with multiple viewpoints, then reprojecting the images into the measurement volume and combining them post capture. The result is a stack of synthetically refocused images that span the measurement volume with each refocused image having a narrow focus on a particular plane. In this paper, bubble shadow images are captured by projecting diffuse backlight onto the measurement volume. 3D SA imaging is ideally suited to investigate optically dense multiphase flows due to the ability to reconstruct volumes that contain partial occlusions. Instantaneous bubble sizes and locations in the plunging jet bubble fields are extracted from the volumes using two feature extraction algorithms and presented for various jet heights. The data are compared with existing literature on bubble penetration depth and size distributions. A scaling law for the integrated air concentration as a function of depth below the free-surface is proposed. Coupled with scaling laws for a parameter describing the radius of the bubble cone and radial concentration profiles, this new scaling law can be used to determine the entire air concentration profile given a minimal number of single-point measurements.

A type of M 2-transmitter N 2-receiver MIMO radar array and 3D imaging theory

With two-dimensional synthetic apertures, a wideband radar array can realize 3D imaging of air targets, but this needs large numbers of antenna elements. Furthermore, when the transmitting frequency is very high, the interval of array elements makes it hard to fit the available space, which makes the imaging resolution worse. This paper proposes a type of M2-transmitter N2-receiver multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar, which is equivalent to a rectangular radar array with (MN)2 T/R antenna elements based on phase center approximation theory, and which can realize the 3D imaging of air targets. Corresponding 3D imaging theory and MIMO inverse synthetic aperture radar (MIMO-ISAR) 3D imaging theory are also proposed in this paper, and two simulations are given to show their validity.

Three-Dimensional ISAR Imaging Based on Antenna Array

In this paper, a 3D inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging method based on an antenna array configuration is proposed. The performance of conventional interferometric ISAR imaging system using three antennas is poor, as the positions of scatterers, which have the same range-Doppler value and projected onto the ISAR plane as a synthesis scatterer, cannot be correctly estimated. However, by using two antenna arrays perpendicular to each other, the system's ability to separate these scatterers can be improved. The criterion for the selection of a range unit that contains an isolated scatterer in the 2-D array domain for doing motion compensation is discussed. If there is no range unit which contains only an isolated scatterer, then radial and cross-range motion compensation has to be carried out by motion parameter estimation. Two cross-range motion parameters measurement algorithms, one based on array processing of the range profile and another based on correlation of ISAR images of different antennas, are proposed. The coordinates registration problem for the scatterers of a synthesis scatterer is also discussed. Simulation results have shown the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

Integration of 2D CMUT arrays with front-end electronics for volumetric ultrasound imaging

For three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound imaging, connecting elements of a two-dimensional (2D) transducer array to the imaging system's front-end electronics is a challenge because of the large number of array elements and the small element size. To compactly connect the transducer array with electronics, we flip-chip bond a 2D 16 x 16-element capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) array to a custom-designed integrated circuit (IC). Through-wafer interconnects are used to connect the CMUT elements on the top side of the array with flip-chip bond pads on the back side. The IC provides a 25-V pulser and a transimpedance preamplifier to each element of the array. For each of three characterized devices, the element yield is excellent (99 to 100% of the elements are functional). Center frequencies range from 2.6 MHz to 5.1 MHz. For pulse echo operation, the average - 6-dB fractional bandwidth is as high as 125%. Transmit pressures normalized to the face of the transducer are as high as 339 kPa and input-referred receiver noise is typically 1.2 to 2.1 mPa/pHz. The flip-chip bonded devices were used to acquire 3D synthetic aperture images of a wire-target phantom. Combining the transducer array and IC, as shown in this paper, allows for better utilization of large arrays, improves receive sensitivity, and may lead to new imaging techniques that depend on transducer arrays that are closely coupled to IC electronics.

Improvement of the scattering center extraction by using the modified approximate prolate series interpolants

AbstractThe three‐dimensional (3D) scattering center model of a complex target can be obtained from the 3D inverse synthetic aperture (ISAR) image by using the CLEAN algorithm. To form the ISAR image from the results of a shooting‐and‐bouncing‐ray (SBR) analysis, the image is updated on a ray‐by‐ray basis using a ray‐spread function, which turns out to be a “sinc” function. The “sinc” function does not decay rapidly, yielding a harsh trade‐off: in case the full “sinc” function is used, the algorithm becomes computationally intense. On the other hand, if it is truncated, convergence problems arise. To solve this trade‐off problem, the use of a band‐limited interpolant function, namely, modified approximate prolate series (MAPS) is proposed instead of the “sinc” function. The suggested MAPS can be shown to have better truncation error bounds than other ray spread functions. By using the suggested MAPS functions, the sidelobe artifacts are minimized and the computational complexity is decreased while extracting the scattering centers with correct positions, amplitudes, and better resolution. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 49: 1623–1628, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.22509

Parameter study of 3D synthetic aperture post-beamforming procedure

A method to increase the image resolution and dynamic range is to use the acquired data from several emissions (lines) and to beamform the collected RF signals treating the focal point in transmit as a virtual source of a spherical wave. The transducer is swept mechanically over the region of interest to scan a full volume. The same beamformation procedure is applied both in the azimuth and the elevation planes. This paper presents a study of the influence of the position of the transmit focus on the image resolution, the signal-to-noise ratio and penetration depth. The investigation is based on simulations and measurements. The system used in this work is a research scanner developed at the department. The transducer is a 7.5 MHz linear array with a pitch of 208 μm and a fixed focus in the elevation direction at 25 mm. The field is simulated for points placed at every 5 mm between 10 and 150 mm depths. Different positions (100) of the transmit focus are investigated. For every transmit focus the image is beamformed and evaluated. Finally the gain in signal-to-noise ratio and penetration depth are investigated experimentally for the setup, with which the best resolution is achieved. Simulations indicate that the size of the point spread function at a depth of 60 mm is decreased from 3 mm to 0.66 mm and from 4 mm to 2.5 mm in the azimuth and elevation planes, respectively. The gain in signal-to-noise ratio measured in a tissue mimicking phantom is 10 dB. The penetration depth increases from 70 to 100 mm. The method can be applied in applications, where the image quality is of prime importance, such as in the classification of atherosclerotic lesions in the carotid artery.

Terrain imaging using a SAR system based on reflected GPS signals

This paper describes a 3D multi-static synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging system which utilises reflected GPS signals from moving objects on the Earth’s surface. The principle of bi-static radar is used to model the reflected GPS signals. The movement of a visible GPS satellite serves as a base for a synthetic aperture over an observation time period. As an example, a MATLAB simulation has been carried out in order to detect the movement of imaged objects under the assumption of one static GPS receiver with two targets which move with different speeds. The influence of the visible satellite’s position and velocity on the spatial resolution of such a SAR system is discussed. Simulation results show that by measuring the cross-correlation of the reflected GPS signal from the terrain and objects on it, the detection of the objects can enjoy a good spatial resolution for the case of moving objects and a moving GPS receiver. Furthermore, the spatial resolution is also related to the selection of visible GPS satellites with respect to their azimuths, elevations and velocities. This system has the following useful features: (a) no dedicated signal transmitter is required; (b) the GPS signal frequency is reused; (c) GPS operates round-the-clock and its signals cover the entire Earth’s surface; (d) low power consumption; and (e) known GPS signal structure.

Three-dimensional space-borne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging with multiple pass processing

Three-dimensional (3D) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging via multiple-pass processing is an extension of interferometric SAR imaging. It exploits more than two flight passes to achieve a desired resolution in elevation. In this paper, a novel approach is developed to reconstruct a 3D space-borne SAR image with multiple-pass processing. It involves image registration, phase correction and elevational imaging. An image model matching is developed for multiple image registration, an eigenvector method is proposed for the phase correction and the elevational imaging is conducted using a Fourier transform or a super-resolution method for enhancement of elevational resolution. 3D SAR images are obtained by processing simulated data and real data from the first European Remote Sensing satellite (ERS-1) with the proposed approaches.

Radar images of rough surface scattering: comparison of numerical and analytical models

Rough surface scattering theories are investigated through analysis of radar images. Backscatter results from 10 GHz to 14 GHz under tapered wave illumination are considered for one-dimension (1D) random rough surface realizations which satisfy an impedance boundary condition. Back-projection tomography is applied to form two-dimensional (2D) synthetic aperture radar images from deterministic surface scattered field data at multiple incidence angles and frequencies. Numerical predictions of surface backscattered fields are obtained from an accelerated forward-backward (FB) method and the resulting images are compared with those obtained from approximate scattering theories such as the physical optics (PO) approximation, the small slope approximation (SSA), and the nonlocal SSA (NLSSA). The resulting radar images illustrate scattering sources associated with single and multiple scattering on the boundary, and a ray tracing analysis confirms the locations of time-delayed image points due to double reflections. For single scattering effects, the images demonstrate excellent agreement between analytical and numerical methods in both horizontal and vertical polarizations. For surfaces with RMS height 2.0 cm and correlation length 7.5 cm at normal incidence, multiple-scattering effects are observed and successfully captured when the lowest-order NLSSA is employed.

Synthetic aperture radiometry evaluated by a two-channel demonstration model

The Technical University of Denmark (TUD) Synthetic Aperture Radiometer (SARad) is a two-channel demonstration model that can simulate a two-dimensional (2D) thinned array radiometer having an unfilled aperture populated with several small antenna elements. Aperture synthesis obtained by interferometric measurements using the antenna elements in pairs, followed by an image reconstruction based on an inverse Fourier transform, results in an imaging instrument without the need of mechanical scan. The thinned aperture and the nonscanning feature make the technique attractive for spaceborne radiometer systems, especially at low frequencies. The TUD SARad demonstration model consists of a two-channel K/sub u/-band correlation radiometer with two horn antennas and an antenna mounting structure enabling the horns to be mounted in relevant positions within a certain aperture. A total aperture synthesis is obtained by sequentially placing the two antenna elements in all required pairs of positions and measuring the corresponding samples of the visibility function. The system has been used to demonstrate 2D synthetic aperture imaging of complex targets in outdoor ground experiments, a special feature of the system is that it uses a focused antenna system, thus enabling a short distance to the target. Set still utilizing image reconstruction algorithms identical to those used in a normal far-field situation. The aperture synthesis theory is discussed, with special emphasis on focused systems; the radiometer system is described; and images suitable for demonstration of resolution and other imaging properties are presented and discussed.