A real-time TAM-BP imaging algorithm for subsurface imaging radar

A real-time recursive time-delay and amplitude modified back projection (TAM-BP) imaging algorithm is presented in this paper. Real time imaging is an intense demand but a challenging task in subsurface imaging radar (SIR)'s application. Based on 'delay-sum' operation in time domain, TAM-BP imaging algorithm can precisely focus scattering intensity and obtain high quality subsurface profile. But its heavy computation load restricts its application in SIR's real-time processing. After analyzing TAM-BP imaging procedure, a recursive model of this imaging algorithm is established and real-time TAM-BP imaging algorithm is educed subsequently. The computation complexity of both non-real-time TAM-BP imaging algorithm and real-time TAM-BP imaging algorithm are compared with experimental data.