Development of through-wall imaging radar with planar MIMO array

Abstract

This paper describes development of an ultra-wideband through-wall imaging radar, which was carried out in the framework of the EU project PROBANT. The hand-held radar is intended for security and rescue operations. Its electronics is built on the frequency modulated continuous wave technology with flexible selection of operational frequencies within 1–4 GHz range. The antenna system represents a novel multiple input multiple output array with four transmit and eight receive antennas. The imaging is done by means of digital beamforming that uses a modified Kirchhoff migration. The capability to image a person through various walls, including thick reinforced concrete, has been demonstrated by experiments with an operational demonstrator.