Compressive Sampling Applied to Millimeter-wave Single Detector Imagers

Millimeter and terahertz wave imaging can image objects behind or within other objects. However, current equipment that does this quickly is expensive, and affordable equipment is prohibitively slow. Researchers at Missouri S & T have successfully developed and demonstrated several innovative millimeter wave imaging systems capable of real-time, high-resolution imaging at frequencies up to 150 GHz. These systems use various synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging algorithms; advanced Compressive Sensing (CS) techniques; and random data sampling. Combining these various individual advances can reduce the time to image by as much as 85%. These advances were then combined with innovative imaging hardware and under-sampling to create a system capable of real-time imaging of features hidden inside solid objects. These images have essentially similar resolution to images that take many hours to create. In this proposed Phase I STTR effort, TRI/Austin will team with Missouri S & T to transfer these technologies to the Army by customizing the prototype for the Army"s needs; demonstrating its efficacy on a variety of materials; specifying the most useful compression algorithms, system hardware, and system software; and providing an initial design of the system that would be delivered in a Phase II effort.