Initial Results of a W/D-Band Millimeter-Wave Radiometer on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Abstract

In recent years, the application of passive millimeter-wave imaging (PMWI) in target detection, reconnaissance, and surveillance has drawn our attention again, especially passive interferometric millimeter-wave imaging (PIMI). However, PIMI suffers with high hardware and signal processing complexity, and passive interferometric millimeter-wave sensors (PIMSs) are very expensive. In this letter, a W/D-band millimeter-wave radiometer on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is first developed for target detection, reconnaissance, and surveillance, especially for ship detection. The W/D-band millimeter-wave radiometer has the advantages of low hardware and signal processing complexity and low cost. The W/D-band millimeter-wave radiometer is introduced, and a proof prototype of the W/D-band millimeter-wave radiometer is manufactured. Numerical simulations are performed to analyze the brightness temperature (TB) characteristic of the metallic ships. Outdoor experiments are performed to assess the feasibility of the metallic target detected by the W/D-band millimeter-wave radiometer on a UAV. Initial experimental results have demonstrated that metallic targets can be detected by the W/D-band millimeter-wave radiometer from UAVs, as expected.