Robust ultra wideband radar systems for real-time sensing, characterization, and imaging applications

该提案的重点是开发一种强大的传感器技术，用于实时传感，表征和成像应用。拟议的传感器技术将基于超宽带（UWB）雷达原理开发。该研究的目标应用领域是地理信息学，特别关注隧道建设，以及电子健康，具体目标是开发非接触式人体生命体征监测系统。 研究的长期目标是（a）地理信息学：众所周知，缺乏实时测量仪器和解决方案来检测隐藏的复杂性，例如意外的巨石，从硬粘土突然变化为不稳定的沙子，以及隧道表面的埋置气体和水管，导致隧道工程的高风险。本研究的目标是开发一种可行的实时测量工具，可以与隧道掘进机集成，以估计隧道断面的地质参数，直接在隧道工作面的前面。拟议的研究还扩展了最先进的探地雷达技术的视野。(b)电子保健：非接触式传感器技术对人体生理监测、微波辐射计对内脏温度监测的意义已经实现。然而，由于患者的雷达截面衰减，该技术的基本限制出现。本研究的长期目标是开发一种稳健的非接触式传感器技术，用于以下应用：（i）心跳、心率变异性和呼吸率监测的非接触式测量，以及基于患者的危急状况生成警报信号（ii）腹部脂肪厚度的测量和脂肪质量的确定，以帮助患者肥胖症的研究。 尽管UWB技术已经在许多应用中使用，但是最先进的UWB传感器技术受到其缺乏鲁棒性的限制。本论文的研究工作为鲁棒超宽带传感器技术的理论和设计提供了理论基础，并针对上述两个问题，对鲁棒超宽带传感器技术的实现和集成进行了研究。

This proposal focuses on developing a robust sensor technology for real-time sensing, characterization, and imaging applications. The proposed sensor technology will be developed based on ultra wideband (UWB) radar principles. The targeted application areas of the research are in geomatics with special focus on tunnel construction, and e-health with specific goal of developing contactless human vital-sign monitoring systems. The long term objectives of the research are in (a) Geomatics: It is well understood that the lack of real-time surveying instruments and solutions to detect the buried complexities such as unexpected boulders, sudden change from hard clay to unstable sand, and buried gas and water pipes at the tunnel face contribute to the high risk of tunneling projects. The goal of this research is to develop a viable real-time surveying tool that can be integrated with tunnel boring machine to estimate the geological parameters of the tunnel section immediately ahead of the tunnel face. The proposed research also extends the horizons of the state-of-the-art ground penetrating radar technologies. (b) e-health: Significance of contactless sensor technology for monitoring the human physiology, and microwave radiometer for monitoring the temperature of internal organs has been realized. However, fundamental limitation for this technology arises due to the fading radar cross section of the patient. Long term goal of this research is to develop a robust contactless sensor technology for the following applications: (i) contactless measurement of heartbeat, heart rate variability, and breathing rate monitoring, as well as generate alarm signals based on critical condition of the patient (ii) measurement of abdominal fat thickness and determination of quality of fat to help the studies of obesity in a patient. Even though UWB technology is already in use for numerous applications the state-of-the-art UWB sensor technology limited by its lack of robustness. The proposed research develops the theory and design for robust ultra wideband sensor technology, and also study their implementation and integration to solve the above two problems.