SBIR Phase II: Precision Reflectometer Applied to Detect Plastic Land Mines

这一小型企业创新研究第二阶段项目旨在展示作为手持式地雷探测器实施的精密雷达反射计的概念，以测量被遮挡的异常(埋藏的塑料地雷)引起的反射的微小变化。单基地雷达用一组小尺寸的准直天线波束顺序地照亮搜索区域。天线面积被设计成接近最小的地雷尺寸，以提高探测能力。当阵列在地面上扫描时，相邻天线波束之间的反射信号有微小变化时，就实现了检测。来自每个天线的矢量信号被处理以生成标准的双轴测向方向图，该方向图改进了对目标位置、大小和形状的估计。选择雷达频率(500至900 MHz)是为了获得对地面的良好穿透，并使用蜂窝电话组件来保持电力消耗和低成本--据估计，在60多个国家中有超过1.2亿枚地雷被遗弃，每年导致10,000名儿童和成人死亡，数千人致残。地雷探测器有两个商业机会，即军事地雷探测和人道主义扫雷。

This Small Business Innovative Research Phase II project is to demonstrate the concept of a precise radar reflectometer implemented as a hand held mine detector to measure a very small change in reflection caused by an obscured anomaly (buried plastic land mine). A monostatic radar sequentially illuminates the search area with an array of small foot print collimated antenna beams. The antenna footprint is designed to approach the smallest mine size to improve detection. Detection is realized when there is a small change in the reflected signal between adjacent antenna beams as the array is scanned over the ground. The vector signal from each antenna is processed to generate the standard dual axis direction finding pattern that improves the estimates of target location, size and shape. The radar frequency (500 to 900 MHz) is selected to obtain good penetration of the ground and to use cellular telephone components to keep the power drain and cost low- It is estimated there are over 120 million mines abandoned in more than 60 countries, killing 10,000 children and adults every year and maiming thousands more. There are two commercial opportunities for the mine detector, military mine detection and humanitarian mine clearing.