Feasibility of Using Impulse Radar to Detect and Identify Detonators

This proposal seeks to demonstrate the feasibility of using impulse radar techniques to detect and identify explosive detonators. It relies on the fact that a radar impulse will excite natural electromagnetic resonances which characterize the size, shape, and material composition of an object. These resonances are present in the scattered transient return from the object and can be extracted by algorithms which were developed by the EMP community in mid 1970. We are proposing to make experimental measurements of the resonance region signatures of detonators and potential nuisance objects, extract the resonance features from them, and use these features to train a neural network to differentiate the detonators from nuisances. Our program concludes with performing benchmarks on the signal processing algorithms, determining the limits of current impulse radar hardware technology, and summarizing the operational limits of our concept detonator detection system.