Combining Physical Optics and Method of Equivalent Currents to Create Unique Near-Field Propagation and Scattering Technique for Automotive Radar Applications

The scattering environment for automotive radar is challenging for modeling and simulation, generating backscatter returns not just from vehicles but also from structures and features within the immediate environment. Remcom’s WaveFarer® is a simulation tool that combines ray-tracing algorithms with high-frequency asymptotic physics methods, with Physical Optics (PO) and the Method of Equivalent Currents (MEC) at its core, supplemented by Geometric Optics (GO) and the Uniform Theory of Diffraction (UTD) to handle multipath interactions between structures. In this paper, WaveFarer is used to evaluate radar returns from vehicles in a typical road environment. Drive scenarios are then constructed with the radar and vehicles in motion, along with stationary roadside clutter. Simulation results are post-processed to calculate additional quantities, such as the range-Doppler. The objective of the study is to demonstrate the ability of simulations to characterize radar scattering from vehicles and features along a road, at ranges and frequencies relevant for automotive radar.