Imaging humans with Doppler radar using a low-complexity frequency-scanned antenna

In this work, a low-complexity two-dimensional (2D) frequency-scanned antenna is proposed to image a human using a Doppler radar. It consists of two back-to-back, air-filled microstrip leaky wave antennas (LWAs). The frequency-scanned pattern of the microstrip LWA is used to determine the target bearing in one dimension. Two such elements are used as an interferometer to determine the target bearing in the other dimension. In order to pack two LWAs closely, a design is proposed to achieve a minimal disturbance on the azimuth and elevation beam patterns. The design is measured with both static and Doppler targets to demonstrate the capability to form 2D frontal images. To investigate the potential performance of using the proposed antenna to image a human, a simulator that includes a dynamic human signature model and the frequency-scanned antenna pattern is developed. A radar waveform that is different from that used for the measurement conducted with simple Doppler targets is proposed. A simple five-point human model is tested first to understand the capability of the antenna to image a human. Next, the antenna design and the radar processing parameters are studied to improve the image quality. Simulated frontal images of a walking human are generated and discussed. With a redesigned antenna and new radar processing steps, simulation shows that frontal imagery of a human undergoing motion can be generated.