Translational rotational motion compensation: a single algorithm for different radar imaging applications
A single algorithm for various radar imaging applications is presented. The idea behind the proposed approach is that any motion between radar and target can always be modelled as a composition of translational and rotational components. Novel techniques to estimate and compensate these two motion components are discussed and also validated by application to real radar data for different targets (ships, aircraft, ground). By the translational-rotational-motion-compensation algorithm, good results can be achieved, especially in cases characterised by evident variation of the rotation rate during the coherent processing time for imaging. This usually happens in aircraft, ship or ground mover inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging as well as in squinted or forward-looking SAR. In any case, the efficiency and the accuracy of the algorithm presented for translational motion compensation might be the initial step of alternative radar imaging processing. The simplicity of the proposed algorithms makes them suitable and convenient for real-time application even for compact and low-weight radar systems to be fitted on board unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) or other airborne platforms. The proposed concept is the result of the authors' decennial experience devoted to achieve a single, simple, robust, reliable and efficient signal processing algorithm for several real-time radar imaging applications.
