MIMO Radar and Ground-Based SAR Imaging Systems: Equivalent Approaches for Remote Sensing

Currently there is an increasing interest in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radars, because MIMO technology is able to provide a level of performance similar to that of a conventional antenna array, while also providing hardware and cost-related benefits. In this paper, we describe an upgrade of an existing ground-based synthetic aperture radar system (which is used for landslide monitoring) to a low-cost MIMO system. We also describe the associated low-cost/high-performance remote sensing benefits that this new configuration provides and present the results gathered by the new system. We conclude by outlining two configurations of the MIMO system with particular emphasis on antenna positioning, which has a key role in the overall performance.