340-GHz 3D radar imaging test bed with 10-Hz frame rate

We present a 340 GHz 3D radar imaging test bed with 10 Hz frame rate which enables the investigation of strategies for the detection of concealed threats in high risk public areas. The radar uses a wideband heterodyne scheme and fast-scanning optics to achieve moderate resolution volumetric data sets, over a limited field of view, of targets at moderate stand-off ranges. The high frame rate is achieved through the use of DDS chirp generation, fast galvanometer scanners and efficient processing which combines CPU multi-threading and GPU-based techniques, and is sufficiently fast to follow smoothly the natural motion of people.

[1]  Ralf Henneberger,et al.  Fast Active THz Cameras with Ranging Capabilities , 2009 .

[2]  R. J. Wylde,et al.  Wideband Circulators for Use at Frequencies Above 100 GHz to Beyond 350 GHz , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[3]  R.I. Hunter,et al.  Design of High-Performance Millimeter Wave and Sub-Millimeter Wave Quasi-Optical Isolators and Circulators , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[4]  Carey M. Rappaport,et al.  A color map for effective black-and-white rendering of color-scale images , 2002 .

[5]  H.B. Wallace,et al.  Imaging Through the Atmosphere at Terahertz Frequencies , 2007, 2007 IEEE/MTT-S International Microwave Symposium.

[6]  Nuria Llombart,et al.  THz Imaging Radar for Standoff Personnel Screening , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology.

[7]  William D. Fitzgerald.  A 35-GHz beam waveguide system for the millimeter-wave radar , 1992 .

[8]  Patrick Lj Valdez,et al.  Standoff concealed weapon detection using a 350-GHz radar imaging system , 2010, Defense + Commercial Sensing.

[9]  G.M. Smith,et al.  Reducing standing waves in quasi-optical systems by optimal feedhorn design , 2007, 2007 Joint 32nd International Conference on Infrared and Millimeter Waves and the 15th International Conference on Terahertz Electronics.

[10]  Mikko Leivo,et al.  Design and performance of a passive video-rate THz system demonstrator , 2011, Defense + Commercial Sensing.

[11]  Erik Heinz,et al.  Toward high-sensitivity and high-resolution submillimeter-wave video imaging , 2011 .

[12]  Shaul Hanany,et al.  Comparison of the crossed and the Gregorian Mizuguchi-Dragone for wide-field millimeter-wave astronomy. , 2008, Applied optics.

[13]  Peter H. Siegel,et al.  Fast high-resolution terahertz radar imaging at 25 meters , 2010, Defense + Commercial Sensing.