Through-the-Wall Small Weapon Detection Based on Polarimetric Radar Techniques
TBMG-8008
06/01/2010
- Content
Detecting concealed small weapons carried by people has received significant interest from law enforcement agencies as well as the military, most frequently for application in controlling checkpoints (in airports, border crossings, public spaces, etc.). Imaging systems for concealed weapons based on radar or other sensor technologies have been recently developed and tested. Most of the existing electromagnetic (EM) sensors suitable for this application operate at very high frequencies, usually in the millimeter or terahertz frequency bands and produce high-resolution images. Although these EM waves can penetrate through clothing (textile materials), they have very poor penetration properties through many common construction materials (such as brick or concrete). Most through-the-wall radars must operate at much lower frequencies, usually below 4 GHz, in order to “see” targets behind walls. However, at those low frequencies, the image resolution is degraded, so small weapons carried by humans may be difficult to detect directly in the image domain.
- Citation
- "Through-the-Wall Small Weapon Detection Based on Polarimetric Radar Techniques," Mobility Engineering, June 1, 2010.