A fast imaging MMW radiometer system for security and safety applications

Abstract

Armed forces nowadays have to cope with a wide variety of mission scenarios in military or peace keeping operations. In urban environments, for example, convoy commanders are confronted with a very complex threat situation, due to so called IEDs (Improvised explosive devices) or landmines. The detection of threats due to advanced reconnaissance sensors will provide an important advantage. The aim of the SUM project (Surveillance in an urban environment using mobile sensors) was to develop a cost-effective multi-sensor vehicle based surveillance system in order to enhance the knowledge of the actual threat situation on and nearby the road ahead of the convoy. The SUMIRAD (SUM imaging radiometer) system, developed by DLR, is a fast radiometric imager and part of the SUM sensor suite. This paper will describe the challenges for the design of the SUMIRAD system and the image processing features in order to provide high-quality images of sufficient resolution for a large field of view at a moderate frame rate. Imaging results of several measurement campaigns will be presented.