Publication: Design and development of an S-Band Continuous wave radar prototype Capable of Enhanced target Differentiation.
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Date
2026-07
Authors
Zulkarnain, Siti Aminah
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Abstract
The demand for a target detection system that are capable of identifying objects is continuously increasing in the fields of security, surveillance, and aviation. This demand is particularly relevant when differentiating between micro unmanned aerial vehicles (MUAVs), birds, human motions, and others. Conventional radar systems have difficulty differentiating targets especially with comparable radar cross-sections (RCS) and overlapping motion characteristics that result in false alarms. This research addresses these challenges by designing an S-band continuous wave (CW) radar prototype capable of enhanced target differentiation through motion analysis using micro-Doppler (M-D) features. The radar system was first designed and simulated in low level processing technique. Then, the radar system was developed using Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) components that operate at a carrier frequency of 3.4 GHz. The Short-Time Fourier Transform (STFT) was used to analyze motion data in order to extract M-D features. Simulation studies revealed the capability to
differentiate between rotating MUAV blades ranging in length from 20 to 40 cm and flapping bird wings measuring 35 cm in total span based on their distinct modulation effects in the frequency domain. The performance of the developed prototype was assessed experimentally to differentiate between three types of human movement defined by average pace, namely slow walking at approximately 2 m/s, fast walking at 5 m/s, and running at 7 m/s. Each of these movements displayed increasing Doppler spreads in the STFT spectrogram. MUAV tests were conducted using a DJI Mini 3 under two common scenarios, like hovering and flying motion. Hovering motion produced clear periodic M-D patterns due to blade rotation, while flying motion in a translational direction resulted in five distinct Doppler bursts with superimposed ripple patterns. This suggests that the simultaneous detection of both translational velocity and propeller blade motion. The results demonstrate that the designed S-band CW radar system provides reliable detection and motion analysis across diverse target types.