Handheld Millimeter-Wave Imaging at Video Rates and its Applications

Abstract

We present a particularly compact and hence portable device for millimeter-wave imaging at video rates up to 15 Hz. It is based on an antenna-array with 192 antennas, which operates in a frequency range between 65 and 78 GHz. The utilized SFCW based MIMO-radar principle allows a volumetric reconstruction with depth information. The depth resolution achieves 8mm and the lateral resolution 2mm. With its compact form factor and the high imaging rate, this system provides a flexibile solution for many industrial use cases. These include non-destructive testing of dielectric (composite) materials and inline quality control of paper-, cardboard- and plastic packaging. Since drywall installations are also penetratable by millimeter-waves, even the inspection of cables and pipes is feasable. While these examples cover a wide range of applications, the full variety of application-fields still has to be evaluated.