Millimeter-wave weapons detection system

Abstract

We are proposing a new electromagnetic (EM) solution for concealed weapons detection at a distance. Our proposed approach exploits the fact that the weapons of interest for detection, whether they are a hand gun, knife, box cutter, etc, each have a unique set of EM characteristics. The particular novelty of our technical solution for concealed weapons detection at a distance lies in the use of millimeter-wave (mm-wave) signals over a wide frequency band (26-40 GHz or Ka-band) to excite natural resonances in the weapon and create a unique spectral signature that can be used to characterize the object. By using such excitation signals in the mm-wave frequency band, benefits such as increased resolution and reduced component size can be realized. In addition, the use of a wideband mm-wave excitation signal provides an enhanced EM signature for the target that exhibits more features available for classifying the object