A system-level simulator for indoor mmW SAR imaging and its applications

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Computer-Aided Design
• Electromagnetics

Background:

• Indoor active millimeter wave (mmW) imaging using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is gaining research interest.
• Current research heavily relies on costly experiments due to a lack of system-level computer-aided design (CAD) tools.
• Experiment-focused studies limit understanding of the wave propagation physics during imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel modeling approach for simulating the physical process of SAR imaging at mmW frequencies.
• To bridge the gap between experimental studies and a deeper understanding of mmW imaging system dynamics.
• To provide a cost-effective simulation tool for researchers in the field.

Main Methods:

• Developed a mmW frequency simulator to model the data acquisition process in SAR imaging.
• Focused on simulating the physical aspects of wave interaction and data collection, not image reconstruction algorithms.
• Utilized a common PC for system-level studies, demonstrating the simulator's accessibility.

Main Results:

• Successfully modeled the data acquisition process for mmW SAR imaging.
• Enabled system-level studies on factors affecting image quality, including reflectivity contrast, sampling step, and antenna directivity.
• Demonstrated the simulator's capability for practical system design and analysis.

Conclusions:

• The proposed simulator provides a valuable tool for mmW SAR system design and research.
• The modeling approach facilitates understanding of physical processes in mmW imaging.
• The simulator is extensible to terahertz (THz) frequencies, offering future research potential.