A velocity vector estimation algorithm tested on simulated SAR raw data

Abstract

This paper presents an improved method for estimating the velocity vector of a moving target from SAR raw data. The velocity estimate is carried out without a priori information by a recursive procedure coupling Along Track Interferometry (ATI) for the range component to the Impulse Reference Function (IRF) analysis for the azimuth component. To develop and test the estimation scheme, a dual channel SAR raw data simulator has been built and the retrieval algorithm has been implemented, taking into consideration the coupled effect of the two velocity components. Significant statistics have been generated by considering different targets and backgrounds, simulating scenes with constant backscatter, vehicles in a shrubs environment and ships at sea.