Radar in a Room
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'Radar in a Room'
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Click for full size image of the radar The demo allows participants to see a real-time image of themselves and the room taken by a mm-wave radar. After identifying themselves and the objects in the room they will notice the mirror reflection effects. The radar can also be set to the ''Marauder's map' game it record the images of the children as they walk about - showing their footsteps along their path. It is also possible to spell out letters and simple pictures by moving in a pattern.
A scan of the school hall at Montrose. You can see the lines of seats facing towards the middle of the hall
SAFIRE uses a computer to both control and record the radar signals. The computer puts a pattern on the radar signal which is then amplified and split into two copies

The first copy of the radar signal passes up through the feedhorn, and out through the lens into the air forming a radar beam. The beam reflects off the angled mirror, sweeping round the room as the mirror rotates. If you could see the radar beam, it would look like a lighthouse

A radar echo from an object in the beam returns to the mirror, bounces back down through the lens into the feedhorn, and is sent to a device called a mixer. The mixer compares the echo with the second copy of the transmit signal, giving a signal which is proportional to the distance

The computer then records the mixer output signal measuring the distance in 10cm steps. The computer also monitors the direction in which the beam is pointing and colour-codes the strength of the echo reflection to build up a picture of the room

HOW DOES RADAR WORK?

 

 

 







'Vision For The Future' is an EPSRC funded project run by the MMW group at the University of St Andrews
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