Extended Imaging Algorithm Based on Aperture Synthesis With Double-Scattered Waves for UWB Radars

Ultrawideband (UWB) pulse radar with high range resolution is suitable for near-field sensing. Applications of UWB pulse radar include human body identification in blurry vision for security or rescue purposes and accurate spatial measurements for industrial products such as a reflector antenna. The synthetic aperture radar is still promising for these applications because it creates an accurate image even for near-field targets in free space. However, for complex-shaped or multiple objects, this algorithm suffers from increased shadow region because it employs only a single-scattered signal for imaging. To resolve this difficulty, this paper proposes a novel imaging algorithm based on aperture synthesis for double-scattered signals. In general, double-scattered waves include independent information on target points, which are not obtained by a single-scattered wave. Based on this principle, the proposed method effectively synthesizes the double-scattered signals and enhances the reconstructible range of a target shape, part of which becomes a shadow in the former approach. In order to enhance accuracy, a false image suppression approach based on the Fresnel zone theory is also incorporated in the proposed method. The results from numerical simulations and an experiment verify that our method significantly enhances the visible range of target surfaces without either a priori knowledge of target shapes or preliminary observation of their surroundings.