Integrated Detection and Location of Buried Metallic And Non-Metallic Targets

QRC, with subcontractor Texas Instruments, submits this proposal in response to SBIR A96-065 for Integrated Detection and Location of Buried Metallic and Non-MetallicTargets. There is a disturbance in the earth's surface characteristics when a mine is buried beneath the surface, or when mines are scattered on the surface. The observables are the local variations caused by man made objects: in the sky temperature reflection, the radar reflectivity, and the eddy currents that can be induced by a metal detector (AN/PSS-12). There are large variations in the constitutive properties of the soil caused by nature and large variations due to man made contamination (cans, shell fragments, cartridges, etc.) which complicates the detection process. The detection of the M-14, which is non-metallic and approximately 2 inches in diameter and 2 inches high presents the severest detection challenge The ratio of the M-14 induced signal to the earth surface return is very, very small as measured with current antenna systems. The synergism obtained by combining a radiometer, a metal detector and a ground penetrating radar into a mine detection system will increase the probability of detection and reduces the false alarms. QRC successfully demonstrated a height insensitive radar antenna with 5 inch diameter footprint integrated with the AN/PSS-12 that detected the M-14 mines at the HHMD ATD held at the Yuma Proving Grounds. QRC proposes to design and evaluate multibeam broad band antenna techniques which can be configured as a line array for the radiometer. This antenna would simultaneously support the GPR and Radiometer sensors and remain suitable to be integrated into the AN/PSS-12 metal detector wand without degrading the performance of the metal detector.