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Using the Polarization of Millimeter‐wave Radar as a Navigation Aid
Author(s) -
Brooker Graham,
Johnson David,
Underwood James,
Martinez Javier,
Xuan Lu
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of field robotics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.152
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4967
pISSN - 1556-4959
DOI - 10.1002/rob.21517
Subject(s) - polarization (electrochemistry) , radar , remote sensing , extremely high frequency , terrain , computer science , bistatic radar , radar imaging , optics , radar engineering details , scattering , physics , geology , geography , telecommunications , chemistry , cartography
This paper examines various ways in which changes in ground reflectivity enhanced by using polarization diversity in millimeter‐wave imaging radar can be used as an aid to guidance and navigation. The paper introduces the concept of a polarization scattering matrix and shows how the returns from a linearly polarized mirror scanned radar and an autonomous ground vehicle together can be exploited to provide novel ground images made at all polarizations. The paper introduces a number of polarization‐sensitive calibration reflectors, including a novel modified Bruderhedral, which are used to quantify the polarization vector. It is shown that changes in the ground reflectivity of the radar images, as a function of polarization, can be used to classify the terrain in ways beyond that which can be achieved using static reflectivity contrast alone.