Solopulse digital signal processing, combined with digitized array hardware, produces a volumetric image within a range window field of view that spans azimuth and elevation dimensions. This new array signal processing technique achieves cross-range imaging with a single, solitary radar pulse, or said more simply, with a “solopulse.” Solopulse processing is efficient and effective, and provides a landmark technology that will empower many new computed imaging applications and capabilities in radar, terahertz sensing, medical imaging, seismology, sonar, etc.
- Two or three dimensional radar imaging can be achieved with a single transmitted radar pulse.
- Radar Imaging can be achieved without sensor or object motion at beamwidth resolution.
- Resolution improves with sensor or object motion.
- Conventional radar scanning with beamforming is not required for searching.
- Solopulse works in both the near and far fields of an array sensor.
- Processing can be performed in real-time.
Solopulse will drive new capabilities in 1) radars that search, track and discriminate both stationary and moving objects in the air and on the ground, including objects such as isolated drones and swarms of drones; 2) radar sensors for self-driving cars; 3) hologram recording/reconstruction devices, and many other applications that rely on computed imaging.
“RADAR” was originally an acronym for RAdio Detection And Ranging; hence, the very name emphasizes the natural solution radar provides for down-range profiling. Cross-range profiling in radar, on the other hand, has long been a challenging problem. Georgia Tech offers a breakthrough solution called “Solopulse” for the cross-range detection problem in both azimuth and elevation that only requires the transmission of a single radar pulse.