Detection and radar imagery through the wall and related information processing – DIAMS

Whether mass hostage-taking or complex hostage taking in multiple locations as in Bombay in 2008, or in a Moscow theater in 2002 or in the gymnasium of Beslan in 2004, this type of attack is really for the authorities a headache.

To help them in their mission, police and armed forces can take benefit from a number of means. However, a radar that "sees" through walls would bring a considerable operational advantage. Indeed, it would better protect life of present people by providing very important decision elements (in cases of hostage taking: where are the kidnappers and the hostages) before entering a building, one of the most risky task when potential dangers on the other side of the wall is not known. It is therefore a key element for increasing mission success while reducing risk.
Only a very small number of through walls radars are currently marketed. However, following the opinion of end users, these devices do not comply actual needs and are not sufficiently reliable.

The first need concerns vision within the buildings to have an overview of the topology of locations to facilitate subsequent intervention. Then, the next crucial question deals with the human presence in the building. Currently, there is no reliable device with low error detection. It is then important in the case of moving people to be able to detect, to count and to track their movements over time.

The noticeable goal of the DIAMS project, of industrial research type, is to achieve a significant progress in the technology field of through walls radar vision using electromagnetic waves in a frequency range from 500 MHz to 10 GHz. These modulated electromagnetic waves are used as a support of propagation for a radar sensor which uses object or target reflectivity in order to detect, locate and track them.

The originality of this DIAMS project rests on the use of a coupling between Doppler radar and radar imaging, combined with antenna diversity, operating in real time, providing innovative signal processing (image processing, wave polarization, 3D vision, ...), which will constitute a path of considerable growth compared to the existing systems. In addition, at the industry level, the development of a demonstrator close to the operational need will be the starting point for a future industrialization.