A Study on 77 GHz Automotive Radar for Radar-Camera Fusion Module

Abstract

This paper evaluates a 77GHz radar based automotive system that identify and classify objects in front of a vehicle. A FMCW (Frequency-Modulated Continuous-Wave) radar transmits a chirp signal whose frequency increases linearly with time from 77GHz to 81GHz. The reflected signal is then mixed with the transmitted signal using a mixer to generate an IF (intermediate frequency) signal. Thereafter, the IF signal is converted to a digital signal using an ADC. Fast Fourier transform FFT) is performed on the digitized samples to determine its range. Constant false alarm rate (CFAR) algorithms are also applied to determine the targeted object from the cluster of objects. This is ongoing research and hence, the discussions presented is limited to the following topics: 1. Range estimation based on frequency spectrum of a 77 GHz radar sensor. 2. The need for radar-camera fusion development.