Performance analysis of a hyperbola fitting algorithm to determine the position of objects in the near field of a UWB detection system

Ultra wideband (UWB) radar detection devices offer, due to their huge bandwidth, the possibility of high time resolution. It is possible to estimate the position of buried objects in walls or floors without knowing the electromagnetic properties of the background material by using a hyperbola fitting algorithm. The performance of this algorithm with respect to the number of used array elements, the total array length, the propagation velocity, the object position and to measurement jitter is evaluated by Monte Carlo simulations. These simulations are used to define minimum detection system requirements. Measurements are conducted with buried and unburied objects placed in the near field of a virtual Vivaldi array and the errors of the object position estimation are presented. Advantages and disadvantages of the algorithm are discussed.