A SISO FMCW radar based on inherently frequency scanning antennas for 2-D indoor tracking of multiple subjects

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 13; no. 1; p. 16701
• Main Authors: Sacco, Giulia, Mercuri, Marco, Hornung, Rainer, Visser, Huib, Lorato, Ilde, Pisa, Stefano, Dolmans, Guido
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group 04.10.2023; Nature Publishing Group UK; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: Data processing; Engineering Sciences; Frequency dependence; Indoor environments; Power consumption; Radar; Scanning; Surveillance
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41541-3

Abstract The contextual non-invasive monitoring and tracking of multiple human targets for health and surveillance purposes is an increasingly investigated application. Radars are good candidates, since they are able to remotely monitor people without raising privacy concerns. However, radar systems are typically based on complex architectures involving multiple channels and antennas, such as multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) or electronic beam scanning, resulting also in a high power consumption. In contrast with existing technologies, this paper proposes a single-input and single-output (SISO) frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar in combination with frequency scanning antennas for tracking multiple subjects in indoor environments. A data processing method is also presented for angular separation and clutter removal. The system was successfully tested in five realistic indoor scenarios involving paired subjects, which were either static or moving along predefined paths varying their range and angular position. In all scenarios, the radar was able to track the targets, reporting a maximum mean absolute error (MAE) of 20 cm and 5.64 $$^\circ$$ ∘ in range and angle, respectively. Practical applications arise for ambient assisted living, telemedicine, smart building applications and surveillance.