Priview Sensor Development

Millitech proposes a trade-off study and concept development for a millimeterwave preview sensor to provide feedback t an active suspension controller. The sensor will detect obstacles 5 to 30 feet in front of the vehicle with a height greater than the suspension travel of the vehicle. The detectability of such sensors has often been a deterrent to their use, however, this can greatly be reduced by operating at a millimeter-wave frequency where the atmospheric attenuation is very high (>14 dB/km). Operation at such a frequency would have little effect on the sensor's performance at such a close range yet makes it virtually undetectable a few hundred meters away. Phase I will include a comparison study of this technology versus electrooptical and ultrasonic sensors as well as a detalied requirements definition, concpet devleopment, and concept verification tasks. In preparation for Phase II, an optional task will be to reconfigure existing Millitech instruments to measure returns from common terrain obstacles. This task will provide the confidence in the approach to be followed in the Phase II prototype development.