Smart Spread Spectrum Modulated Tags for Detection of Vulnerable Road Users with Automotive Radar

Area of Science:

• Automotive radar systems
• Road safety technology
• Wireless communication

Background:

• Increasing collisions between vehicles and vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists, scooter riders) in urban areas.
• Challenges in detecting low radar cross-section targets like vulnerable road users with conventional Continuous Wave (CW) radars.
• Difficulty distinguishing slow-moving users from static clutter in automotive radar systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the feasibility of enhancing vulnerable road user detection using CW radars.
• To propose a novel method for improving the detection of low radar cross-section targets.
• To develop a communication system compatible with existing automotive radar technologies.

Main Methods:

• Proposed a spread spectrum radio communication method involving a backscatter tag modulated by the vulnerable road user.
• Developed a prototype using a commercial monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) amplifier.
• Tested the system with a scooter under static and moving conditions using a 24 GHz low-power Doppler radar.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated successful detection of a scooter using the proposed backscatter tag modulation technique.
• Experimental results validated the method's effectiveness under both static and dynamic scenarios.
• The system proved compatible with low-cost radars and required no hardware modifications.

Conclusions:

• The proposed spread spectrum communication method enhances the detection of vulnerable road users by automotive radars.
• This approach offers a cost-effective and adaptable solution for improving road safety.
• The technology is compatible with existing radar systems like those used for blind-spot detection.