Researchers develop matchbox-sized radar

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Spotted: Researchers have created a radar that can fit inside of a matchbox and is sensitive enough to detect when someone sitting nearby is breathing.

It was developed by a team at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and researchers at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. The compact and low-cost radar produces continuous pulses of short wavelength radio waves that can detect small-scale changes.

“Current radar modules are large and bulky,” KAUST’s Seifallah Jardak told newatlas.com. “They also lose out on key details because they operate using long radio wavelengths. We wanted to develop a low-power, portable radar.”

The new radar is a fraction of the size of an ordinary radar and weighs just 150 grams. It is powered by a small battery and can track the speed and direction of an object moving 12 metres away. The radar can currently run up to eight scans per second, which is fast enough for real-time monitoring.

Takeaway: Radar technology is a key component in aviation, shipping, weather monitoring and defence. But most radar systems operate using long radio waves. This makes them ineffective for close-range applications. While the KAUST radar is not powerful enough for large scale or long-distance use, it could prove useful in the Internet of Things. It is small enough to be used in delivery drones and could help those with vision problems navigate their surroundings. The radar could also help guide autonomous robots. Springwise has already seen radar used to alert cyclists to oncoming traffic and help self-driving cars navigate better in inclement weather.

Website: www.kaust.edu.sa

Published in: IEEE Aerospace & Electronic Systems Magazine, 34, 36-44 (2019)

Source: New feed 1