Innovative Distributed Sensor Network System (DISENS) For Urban Operations

Traditionally, a network of distributed radar sensors, consisting of multiple radars netted through data communication links, is known for its capability to achieve enhanced performance in target detection and recognition via data combination or information fusion among the multiple spatially-separated sensors. This is because the multiple echoes from the same target are available for data processing at a central processing unit, which greatly enhances the available signal-to-interference plus noise ratio (SINR). This in turn, improves considerably target detection probability and target recognition performance. In this effort, an innovative distributed multi-radar sensor system referred to as DIstributed SEnsor Network System (DISENS) will be developed. This sensor system will be able to maximize the number of echoes received from targets of very small cross sections such as dismounts. A DISENS consists of multiple netted identical pulse compression radar sensors, each of which uses a distinct coding waveform available from a bank of orthogonal coding waveforms. All radar sensors in a DISENS are assumed to operate at different carrier frequencies and are coordinated and controlled by a central processing unit referred to as the Central Processing Center. Each sensor in a DISENS can operate in a monostatic, bistatic, or multistatic mode.