Buried object imaging using a small UAS-based GPR

Roussi, Christopher; Xique, Ismael J.; Burns, Joseph W.; Hart, Benjamin E.

doi:10.1117/12.2518997

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Some other challenges are the fact that UAV-mounted GPR systems offer reduced dynamic range compared to ground-based GPR systems as the antennas are not in contact with the soil, and that they yield irregular acquisition grids, among others. The first UAV-based prototypes employing more than one RX antenna have been presented in [23] (performing 3D scanning with 1 TX and 2 RX) and in [24] (performing a single forward-backward sweep with 1 TX and 3 RX). A multichannel UAV-mounted GPR-SAR system was recently presented in [25].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of Scanning Strategies in UAV-Mounted Multichannel GPR-SAR Systems Using Antenna Arrays

García-Fernández,

Álvarez-Narciandi,

Heras

et al. 2024

IEEE J. Sel. Top. Appl. Earth Observations Remote Sensing

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Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) systems on board Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have been successfully used for subsurface imaging applications. Their capability to detect buried targets avoiding the contact with the soil turn these systems into a great solution to detect buried threats, such as landmines and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Significant advances have been also conducted to enhance the detection capabilities of these systems, complementing the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) processing methods with several clutter mitigation techniques. However, the improvement in the scanning throughput (i.e., increasing the inspected area in a given time) remains a significant challenge. In this regard, this article compares several scanning strategies for UAV-mounted multichannel GPR-SAR systems using antenna arrays. In particular, two different scanning strategies have been compared: a uniform scheme and a non-uniform strategy called 3X. In addition, different acrosstrack spacing values to generate dense and sparse sampling distributions were considered for each scanning scheme. After conducting a theoretical analysis of these strategies, they have been experimentally validated with measurements gathered with a portable scanner and during flights in realistic scenarios. Results show that the dense configurations of both scanning strategies yield good quality images of buried targets while improving the scanning throughput (compared to a singlechannel architecture). In particular, the dense uniform scheme (with a 20 cm across-track spacing) achieves a greater reduction in the inspection time, compared to the dense 3X strategy, at the expense of a slightly smaller signal to clutter ratio.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of Scanning Strategies in UAV-Mounted Multichannel GPR-SAR Systems Using Antenna Arrays

García-Fernández,

Álvarez-Narciandi,

Heras

et al. 2024

IEEE J. Sel. Top. Appl. Earth Observations Remote Sensing

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“…Recently, there have been some attempts to overcome these issues. In this regard, the prototype presented in [36] implemented a linear array with one Tx and three Rx (separated 30, 90, and 120 cm from the transmitter) though at a very early stage (single roundtrip sweep of about 12 m). Also, the system proposed in [22] takes advantage of the two receiving channels of the employed radar module, enabling a one Tx and two Rx configuration.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Array-Based Ground Penetrating Synthetic Aperture Radar on Board an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for Enhanced Buried Threats Detection

García-Fernández

Álvarez-Narciandi

Álvarez-López

et al. 2023

IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sensing

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The usage of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)based ground penetrating radar (GPR) systems has gained interest over the last years thanks to advantages over ground-based systems, such as contactless inspection and capability, to reach difficult-to-access areas. The former is of paramount importance concerning the detection of buried threats, such as improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and landmines. Current state-of-the-art UAV-based GPR systems are able to provide centimeter-level resolution thanks to the use of GPR-synthetic aperture radar (SAR) processing techniques. One of the challenges to keep improving these systems is the scanning throughput, that is, the area that can be scanned in a given time. This contribution presents an array-based GPR-SAR system for subsurface imaging, aiming at maximizing the scanning throughput without jeopardizing the imaging capabilities of the system. First, the antenna array is mounted on a portable setup to evaluate its performance and imaging capabilities. Next, the antenna array is integrated into the UAV platform, and the UAV-based GPR-SAR system with the array is tested in realistic scenarios with different kinds of buried targets. Results show that the scanning throughput is significantly improved and, furthermore, the coherent combination of all transmitting-receiving channels of the array provides enhanced detection capabilities.

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Improvements in GPR-SAR imaging focusing and detection capabilities of UAV-mounted GPR systems

García-Fernández

Álvarez-Narciandi

Álvarez-López

et al. 2022

ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing

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Buried object imaging using a small UAS-based GPR

Cited by 5 publications

References 0 publications

Comparison of Scanning Strategies in UAV-Mounted Multichannel GPR-SAR Systems Using Antenna Arrays

Comparison of Scanning Strategies in UAV-Mounted Multichannel GPR-SAR Systems Using Antenna Arrays

Array-Based Ground Penetrating Synthetic Aperture Radar on Board an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for Enhanced Buried Threats Detection

Improvements in GPR-SAR imaging focusing and detection capabilities of UAV-mounted GPR systems

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