A Polarimetric 76 GHz Radar-Sensor for Automotive Applications

There is an increasing interest in millimeter-wave radar sensors for automotive applications, besides passenger-comfort traffic-safety will be the main distinctive feature for car manufacturers in future markets. Radar systems at millimeter-wave frequencies allow small antennas with high resolution fitting well into the front of a passenger car. Over and above radar sensors for automotive applications like autonomous intelligent cruise control and collision avoidance radar open up a relevant volume market for millimeter-wave technology. In this paper the concept of an automotive imaging radar will be discussed. The sensor is a fully polarimetric, coherent 76 GHz radar having an electronically obtained lateral resolution based on a focal plane array concept. Using advanced GaAs-based circuits all the building blocks necessary for the realization of the radar have been designed, assembled, and tested. Furthermore the modules and the obtained results as well as the integration of the complete radar sensor will be described. A sequence of radar images of traffic scenarios has been measured and processed with specially developed algorithms.