77 GHz radar scattering properties of pedestrians

Abstract

Using radars for detecting and tracking pedestrians has important safety and security applications. Most existing human detection radar systems operate in UHF, X-band, and 24GHz bands. The newly allocated 76-77 GHz frequency band for automobile collision avoidance radar systems has once again raised great interest in pedestrian detection and tracking at these frequencies due to its longer detection range and better location accuracy. The electromagnetic scattering properties must be thoroughly understood and analyzed so a catalog of human scattering can be utilized for intensive automotive radar testing. Measurements of real human subjects at these frequencies is not a trivial task. This paper presents validation between the measured radar cross section (RCS) patterns of various human subjects and a full-wave EM simulation. The RCS of a human is shown to depend on a number of factors, such as posture, body shape, clothing type, etc.