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A AND: 0 2002 The Institution of Electrical Engineers
A AND: 0 2002 The Institution of Electrical Engineers
MILLIMETER WAVE RADAR FOR THE OBSTACLE DETECTION AND WARNING SYSTENI FOR
HELICOPTERS
K. Yamamoto', K. Yamadal, N. Yonemoto', H. Yaw?, H. Nebiya', C. Migliaccio'
'Electronic Navigation Research Institute (Japan),
4University of NICE-Sophia AntipolisiCNRS (France)
ABSTRACT.
An obstacle detection and warning system for civil
helicopters is now being developed. An infrared camera
and a 94GHz Millimeter Wave (MMW) radar have been
used as its sensor. Experimental MMW radars have been
built to examine their propagation properties and
obstacle detection performance. 94GHz Vivaldi antenna
has been fabricated for a compact radar antenna.
Measured results demonstrated that the experimental
FMCW radar has a satisfactory range and accuracy. It
was also shown that the Vivaldi antenna worked well at
90 to IOOGHz frequency range.
INTRODUCTION
Helicopters and small aircraft flying at low altitude in the
visual flight rules often strike against obstacles.
According to the aircraft accident reports in Japan, many
collisions.by small aircraft were caused by long, thin
artificial 'objects as power lines because they are often
very difficult to find by pilot eyes even when visibility is
good for flight. A lot of work has been done to avoid
such collisions by developing obstacle sensors as Hogg
[I] and Sadovonik [2]. Their sensors are mainly designed
to expand the operational conditions for military
applications. In order to reduce such collisions, however,
techniques to detect obstacles that are very difficult to
find, must be developed. It is also important to develop
. an obstacle detection and warning system easily
applicable to civil aircraft.
Diode
Switch
Coupler
Transmitting
Antenna
pulse
Detector
Target
pulse
(93.5GHz)
Figure 2
Linear i zer
Transmitting
Antenna
(94GHr)
'
Receiving
Antenna
Band pass
Filter
Awl i f ier
IF
Mlifier
FMCW radar
Figure 6 is the experimental FMCW radar. Its size is
about 44 x 56 x 34cm and weighs about 7kg without the
vector signal analyzer. A CCD Camera was included as a
finder.
In FMCW radar, the range
the target can be given as,
100
200
300
400
500
Distance fmm the Radar to a Target (m)
Figure 7
98
CONCLUSIONS
94GHz experimental MMW radar has been developed to
test the validity as the sensor for the obstacle detection
and warning system for civil helicopters. Two types of
modulation, pulse and FMCW for the radar have been
investigated. An application of the Vivaldi antenna to the
radar was discussed. Preliminruy measurements showed
that the range of the 94GHz pulse radar was about 120m
and its accuracy was about 7%. It was also shown that
the range and accuracy of the FMCW radar were about
500m and 5.5 to 15.5% respectively. The Vivaldi antenna
and the transition circuit that connects the antenna and
waveguide worked well at 90 to IOOGHz range.
However, the transition circuit affected the total radiation
pattern.
Followings are &jor topics left to develop a practical
obstacle detection system.
(1) Radar range extension: a high power oscillator, a
Figure I O
REREFERNCES
[I] G M Hogg, CLARA - A Coherent CO2 Multi-Mode
Laser Radar, Proceedings of IEE Radar 97,N0.449,
1997,pp.678-682.
[2] L. Sadovonik, V Manasson and R. Mino, Helicopter
obstacle detection radar system, Proceedings of SPIE,
Vo1.4023,2000, pp.2-12.
[3] R.Mende, H. Rohling, A High Performance AICC
Radar Sensor - Concept and Results with an