128 Element Coded Aperture Radar at 77 GHz

High resolution radar imaging is highly desired for autonomous vehicle systems but the complexity and cost have been prohibitively expensive. Coded Aperture Radar (CAR) is a technique that simplifies the RF hardware, utilizing single-bit phase shifters to obtain angular information, and enables digital beamforming with only a single transceiver. This paper describes the development and measured results of a CAR sensor developed for 77 GHz operation that utilizes 128 array elements to digitally synthesize directional beams. The authors quantify the sensor performance in cluttered environments.