Multi-Beam Automotive SAR Imaging in Urban Scenarios
Marco Rizzi, Marco Manzoni, Stefano Tebaldini, Andrea Monti Guarnieri, Claudio Maria Prati, Dario Tagliaferri, Monica Nicoli, Ivan Russo, Christian Mazzucco, Simón Tejero Alfageme, Umberto Spagnolini
Abstract
Automotive synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems are rapidly emerging as a candidate technological solution to enable a high-resolution environment mapping for autonomous driving. Compared to lidars and cameras, automotive-legacy radars can work in any weather condition and without an external source of illumination, but are limited in either range or angular resolution. SARs offer a relevant increase in angular resolution, provided that the ego-motion of the radar platform is known along the synthetic aperture. In this paper, we present the results of an experimental campaign aimed at assessing the potential of a multi-beam SAR imaging in an urban scenario, composed of various targets (buildings, cars, pedestrian, etc.), employing a 77 GHz multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar platform based on a mass-market available automotive-grade technology. The results highlight a centimeter-level accuracy of the SAR images in realistic driving conditions, showing the possibility to use a multi-angle focusing approach to detect and discriminate between different targets based on their angular scattering response.