Millimetre-wave Radar Design using Multiple-Input Multiple Output (MIMO) Antenna Systems for Automotive Radar
Lead Research Organisation:
Heriot-Watt University
Department Name: Sch of Engineering and Physical Science
Abstract
The vision of this project is to design, engineer, and experimentally demonstrate a revolutionary wireless transmitter and receiver system that provides a simple yet automated approach for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Radar approaches are employed and the proposed system can also assist with the charging of electric vehicles (EVs) wirelessly. Improvements in terms of efficiency and performance as well as reduced system complexity and cost are anticipated when compared to the conventional. The envisioned system is fully compatible with CMOS and radar technologies for ADAS and brings substantial benefits in terms of safety, convenience, low-cost implementation, and robustness, and when compared to more conventional systems and where Multiple-Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna systems are not employed. In addition, the proposed radar system can significantly increase the accuracy and detection time of road hazards and lane departures for vehicles, while also, assisting drivers with blind spot monitoring, lane changes, and cruise control. The proposed and disruptive radar technology is also a significant advancement from conventional monitoring sensor systems as signals can be processed in real-time and then down converted for digital output display to the driver as needed. Design considerations are to be made for safety, efficiency in the airlink, smart aperture control for efficient focusing and target tracking as well as 2D beam scanning with high angular resolution for proper target characterization.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Symon Podilchak (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Cristian Alistarh (Student) |
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP/N509474/1 | 01/10/2016 | 30/09/2021 | |||
| 1963544 | Studentship | EP/N509474/1 | 01/10/2017 | 30/12/2021 | Cristian Alistarh |
| EP/R513040/1 | 01/10/2018 | 30/09/2023 | |||
| 1963544 | Studentship | EP/R513040/1 | 01/10/2017 | 30/12/2021 | Cristian Alistarh |
| Description | Radar was pioneered by Scottish scientist Robert Watson-Watt during the Second World War and greatly helped UK's victory in the Battle of Britain. Today, radar applications are used in more peaceful areas. Self-driving cars rely on radar in order to detect objects when cameras are not able to see because of fog, rain or other adverse conditions. The research in automotive radar technology at Heriot-Watt University in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh has developed new methods in the area. Spectral smoothing techniques have been found to boost the performance of automotive radar detection and reduced signal processing times. Different types of antennae have been designed to enhance radar performance in conjunction with multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) technology. The collaboration with Samsung Advanced Research led to the development of a radar system with high resolution accuracy (of an angular span of 2.5 degrees), which is able to detect targets in less than 50 milliseconds. This novel system has also made impact in other areas such as signal processing, antenna design (with beam steering systems, such as Butler Matrix beamforming), and system-level integration. However, there are still areas of improvement and with the help of a new collaboration with TNO Institute in the Netherlands, we have achieved increased angular resolution by the use of compressive sensing and sparse antenna design. |
| Exploitation Route | Universities and companies can start using the new concepts discovered by us to make a new generation of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) which can achieve full autonomy. It is understood that currently this technology is reaching levels 4 and 5 on street environments, albeit in a small proportion, which means that in the next 10-15 year it will not be uncommon to rely on cars for full driver autonomy, even though the pandemic has slowed down this process. It is also understood that inter-car communication will also affect the response of traffic, so the development of our radar systems and concepts will provide an assurance for automotive designers on the possible technologies of tomorrow. |
| Sectors | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Creative Economy,Electronics,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Transport |
| Description | We know that our research will be used by Samsung Advanced Institute for Research, South Korea. The findings will be used for the next generation of automotive radar sensors. However, we do not have any other public data available at this moment. The work which has been carried at TNO for the internship has been interrogated by Texas Instruments company for implementation in their systems. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2020 |
| Sector | Electronics,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Transport |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal,Economic |
| Description | Heriot-Watt - EPSRC Innovation Placement Fund - Round 3 |
| Amount | £1,500 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2019 |
| End | 10/2019 |
| Description | Heriot-Watt - EPSRC Innovation Placement Fund - Round 4 |
| Amount | £2,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2019 |
| End | 07/2020 |
| Description | Travel Bursary for Internship in Netherlands |
| Amount | € 2,836 (EUR) |
| Organisation | Erasmus + |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2020 |
| End | 09/2020 |
| Description | Digital Signal Processing Algorithms for Automotive Radar Detection with TNO |
| Organisation | Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | The signal processing team at TNO helped me to comprehend the signal processing techniques used in commercial radar systems in order to use them in automotive radar systems. My PhD is focused on developing the best signal processing techniques for automotive radar in order to detect targets with high accuracy and in a short time span. Currently, there is a gap between the performance of automotive radar signal processing techniques and radar signal processing techniques used for defense. Defense systems have always been superior, and the knowledge acquired during my traineeship helped me design fast and accurate automotive radars which will be used for self-driving cars. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The 6-month placement consisted of a series of trials done with several signal processing techniques which I investigated: compressive sensing technique, monopulse beamforming, delay and sum beamforming, and multiple input-multiple-output beamforming. The schedule helped me to understand all of these techniques and do a survey on the best techniques which produced adequate results for automotive radar. Based on my research, I carried out set of measurements done in an anechoic chamber (a chamber that does not reflect signals) and compared these results to simulations. This study will helped me to prove that compressed sensing techniques are superior for automotive radar detection. |
| Impact | I will be submitting a conference proceeding to the European Microwave Week Conference 2021. The deadline for the paper submission is on the 26th of March 2021. |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Doctoral Training Partnership with the University of Edinburgh |
| Organisation | University of Edinburgh |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | In this partnership, I have investigated several algorithms which have been proposed by the University of Edinburgh collaborators. I am supervised by an external supervisor at the University of Edinburgh and with this partnership, I have access to the University of Edinburgh as a student. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The collaborators at the University of Edinburgh have significantly improved the outcomes of our endeavors and gave us helpful suggestions with regards to signal processing, algorithms, system design and project planning. |
| Impact | http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/ANTEM.2018.8572959, https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8904552/ |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Millimeter-Wave Radar Design in collaboration with Samsung Electronics |
| Organisation | Samsung |
| Country | Korea, Republic of |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We have designed and researched a 24 GHz automotive radar system, with broadband Multiple-Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antennas. I have developed the simulation platform in MATLAB and have carried out measurement trials in a dedicated microwave anechoic chamber. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Samsung Research, South Korea, has provided the guidance in researching such system as well as financial support in developing it. Samsung will use the research from Heriot-Watt to commercialize the radar system. |
| Impact | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8904552/, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/ANTEM.2018.8572959, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1049/cp.2018.0532 |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Participation as Chapter Secretary of Microwave Theory and Techniques (MTT) Representative for Scottish Chapter at the European Microwave Week Conference 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The meeting consisted of presentations of Microwave Theory and Techniques (MTT) benefits that chapter officers can exploit, chapter officer responsibilities as well as discussion of chapter issues and concerns that the general committee can address. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.mtt.org/understanding-mtt-ss-worldwide-member-and-geographic-activities/ |
| Description | Public presentation at Heriot-Watt University: Signal Processing for MIMO Automotive Radars |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | The presentation with the local research community had the purpose of engaging the local researchers at Heriot-Watt and other local universities into the subject of Signal Processing for Automotive Radar. The work presented had the purpose of informing the audience but also incite potential collaborations. The attendance was high for its kind, having around 20 participants, from different institutes. This was actually a surprise since we did not expect as many people, and we were fortunate to have as many chairs in the room. As a result of this presentation, I have come to learn that other PhD students as myself are working in a related area, and we can support each other for the future. The wider public is also excited about the area of self-driving car technology, hence it is a hot topic in itself. More events of this kind are sought for the future. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |