Improvement of Doppler measurement using multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) concept in radar-based automotive sensor detecting pedestrians
ISSN: 0260-2288
Article publication date: 8 January 2018
Issue publication date: 6 March 2018
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present an approach of utilizing multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar concept to enhance pedestrian classification in automotive sensors. In a practical environment, radar signals reflected from pedestrians and slow-moving vehicles are similar in terms of reflecting angle and Doppler returns, inducing difficulty for target discrimination. An efficient discrimination between the two targets depends on the ability of the sensor to extract unique characteristics from each target, for example, by exploiting Doppler signatures. This study describes the utilization of MIMO radar for Doppler measurement and demonstrates its application to improve pedestrian classification through actual laboratory measurements.
Design/methodology/approach
Multiple non-modulated sinusoidal signals are transmitted orthogonally over a MIMO array using time division scheme, illuminating human and non-human targets. The reflected signal entering each of the receiving antenna are combined at the radar receiver prior to Doppler processing. Doppler histogram was formulated based on a series of measurements, and the Doppler spread of the targets was determined from the histograms. Results were compared between MIMO and conventional single antenna systems.
Findings
Measurement results indicated that the MIMO configuration provides able to capture more Doppler information compared to conventional single antenna systems, enabling a more precise discrimination between pedestrian and other slow-moving objects on the road.
Originality/value
The study demonstrated the effectiveness of using MIMO configuration in radar-based automotive sensor to enhance the accuracy of Doppler estimation, which is seldom highlighted in literature of MIMO radars. The result also indicated its usefulness in improving target discrimination capability of the radar, through actual measurement.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia (MOHE) for partly funding this project, under the Research Acculturation Grant Scheme (RAGS), Grant No. 600-RMI/RAGS 5/3 (17/2015).
Citation
Mohd Basir, S., Pasya, I., Yaakob, T., Abd Rashid, N.E. and Kobayashi, T. (2018), "Improvement of Doppler measurement using multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) concept in radar-based automotive sensor detecting pedestrians", Sensor Review, Vol. 38 No. 2, pp. 239-247. https://doi.org/10.1108/SR-04-2017-0060
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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