Innovative Algorithms for Industrial FMCW Radar Sensor Systems

Frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar sensors are pushing forward into ever larger areas of application. Increasing complexity of the desired information about targeted objects will require future systems not only to allow simple distance and velocity estimates, but to deliver the basis e.g. for superresolution object detection, or object recognition and visualization in multi-sensor configurations. Such demands require highly precise measurement results as well as innovative postprocessing algorithms that transform raw measurement data into usable information. Despite increasing computing power available as integrated solutions, the implementation of such sophisticated algorithms in low-cost circuits for stand-alone sensors pose a challenge to system and software designers. For object detection, recognition, and visualization for a spectrum of applications this project is aimed at designing new and improving existing signal processing approaches. Since hardware costs are a critical factor, an emphasis should be put on optimization of algorithms that can be implemented in digital signal processors (DSP), microcontrollers (µC), or field programmable gate arrays (FPGA).