Radar detection of moving objects around corners

Detection of moving objects around corners, with no direct line-of-sight to the objects, is demonstrated in experiments using a coherent test-range radar. A setting was built up on the test-range ground consisting of two perpendicular wall sections forming a corner, with an opposite wall, intended to mimic a street scenario on a reduced scale. Two different wall materials were used, viz. light concrete and metallic walls. The latter choice served as reference, with elimination of transmission through the walls, e.g. facilitating comparison with theoretical calculations. Standard radar reflectors were used as one kind of target objects, in horizontal, circular movement, produced by a turntable. A human formed a second target, both walking and at standstill with micro-Doppler movements of body parts. The radar signal was produced by frequency stepping of a gated CW (Continuous Wave) waveform over a bandwidth of 2 or 4 GHz, between 8.5 and 12.5 GHz. Standard Doppler signal processing has been applied, consisting of a double FFT. The first of these produced "range profiles", on which the second FFT was applied for specific range gates, which resulted in Doppler frequency spectra, used for the detection. The reference reflectors as well as the human could be detected in this scenario. The target detections were achieved both in the wave component having undergone specular reflection in the opposite wall (strongest) as well as the diffracted component around the corner. Time-frequency analysis using Short Time Fourier Transform technique brought out micro-Doppler components in the signature of a walking human. These experiments have been complemented with theoretical field calculations and separate reflection measurements of common building materials.