Displacement Measurement of Weak Targets With Imaging Radar

Vibration and deformation displacement measurement via imaging radar has attracted growing interest due to its high sensitivity and harsh environment adaptability. However, it is challenging to detect and measure the displacement of weak targets, which is accompanied by static clutter and noise interference. In this article, to address this issue, we propose a novel approach termed as static clutter elimination and segment integration (SESI), enabling robust and accurate displacement measurement for weak targets. In SESI method, the static clutter is first estimated and separated in each range-angle bin. Then, the remaining signals are divided into multiple segments, and radon Fourier transform (RFT) is applied to integrate within each segment. Through integration, the SESI reduces noise and evaluates motion parameters of each segment. The initial position of the target in each segment serves to obtain displacement. Moreover, the performance bound and parameter selection recommendations are illustrated for practical use. Numerical simulation and experimental results demonstrate the excellent performance of the proposed method for reliable identification and accurate displacement measurement of weak targets.