Hybrid Primary and Secondary Radar Concepts for 6D Wireless Locating and Multi-Perspective Imaging for Cooperative Mobile Systems

用于移动机器人全自动驾驶和导航的传感器系统是目前研究的热点。用于无线电定位、导航和环境测绘的雷达技术是非常有前途的课题，而且确实经常是在恶劣环境中应用的必要传感器模式，如公共道路、工业和行星探测。当一次雷达用于监视无源目标时，合作定位单元之间的雷达测量基于二次雷达原理。合成孔径雷达（SAR）可以有效地解决与雷达技术相关的大波长产生的典型分辨率问题。然而，SAR技术需要天线姿态和轨迹的准确信息。初级雷达和次级雷达的功能，特别是基本硬件非常相似。迄今为止，用相同的硬件构建两种传感器模式，并实现由无线电定位、姿态确定和SAR成像组成的合作设置，几乎没有研究过。拟议的资助计划旨在通过首次研究混合主/次雷达概念来填补这一空白。一组合作的移动单位将形成记录情况。每个单元都配备了一个混合MIMO主/次雷达系统，在各个方向进行测量。新型混合79GHz主/次雷达系统和相关MIMO天线阵列将在项目期间进行研究和设计。每个移动单元的完整6D姿态（3D旋转和3D平移）和轨迹将通过协同MIMO无线定位系统确定。在运动时，每个单元都会产生周围环境的SAR/ MIMO图像。当这些图像结合在一起时，就提供了一个多视角的环境地图。该研究应确定基于放射定位的多视角SAR成像在解决诸如阴影和镜面反射等典型问题方面的有效性。混合方法的另一个方面，即姿态确定，应该受益于重叠的初级雷达图像的比较。传感器集群在所有6个维度上的自组织尤其具有挑战性。在这种背景下，专门适应定位问题的所谓深度优先搜索算法的变体将是一个重要的研究课题。两家申请公司都在雷达和MIMO技术、无线电定位和雷达成像领域进行了广泛、相关的准备研究和研究，可以为复杂和广泛的工作计划利用优秀的资源。创新的混合雷达技术将从这项研究中脱颖而出，为自动驾驶和移动机器人导航的新选择铺平道路。

Sensor systems for fully automated driving and navigation of mobile robots are currently the subject of intensive research. Radar techniques for radiolocation, navigation and environment mapping are very promising topics and indeed are often requisite sensor modalities for applications in harsh environments, like public roads, industry and planetary exploration. While primary radar is used to monitor passive targets, radar measurements between cooperating localization units are based on secondary-radar principles. Typical resolution issues arising from the large wavelengths associated with radar technology can be effectively addressed with synthetic aperture radar (SAR). SAR techniques, however, require accurate information on antenna pose and trajectory. The functionality and in particular the basic hardware are very similar with both primary and secondary radar. Building both sensor modalities with identical hardware and implementing a cooperating setup consisting of radio localization, pose determination and SAR imaging has scarcely been investigated to date. The proposed funding plan is aimed at filling this gap by investigating for the first time ever hybrid primary/secondary radar concepts. A group of cooperating mobile units will form the recording situation. Each unit is equipped with a hybrid MIMO primary/secondary radar system performing measurements in all directions. The novel hybrid 79GHz primary/secondary radar system and associated MIMO antenna array will be investigated and designed during the project. The complete 6D pose (3D rotation and 3D translation) and the trajectory of each mobile unit will be determined with a cooperative MIMO wirelss locating system. While in motion, each unit produces a SAR/ MIMO image of its surroundings. When combined, these images provide a multi-perspective map of the environment. The study should establish how effective radiolocation-based, multi-perspective SAR imaging is in tackling typical issues, such as shadowing und specular reflections. Another aspect of the hybrid approach, namely, the pose determination, should benefit from a comparison of overlapping primary radar images. The self-organization of the sensor cluster in all 6 dimensions is particularly challenging. In this context, variants of the so-called depth-first search algorithm specially adapted to the localization problem will be an important research topic.Both applicants have carried out extensive, relevant preparatory studies and research in the fields of radar and MIMO technologies, radiolocation and radar imaging and can draw on outstanding resources for the complex and wide-ranging program of works. Innovative hybrid radar techniques will emerge from this research effort which will pave the way for new options for autonoumous driving and mobile robot navigation.