Analysis of Doppler measurements of ground vehicles

A moving ground vehicle reflects a coherent radar signal depending upon its range rate, rotations and deviations from a rigid body during the integration time of the radar. The time and frequency representations of the received signal present modulations that in some cases are possible to utilize for classification of different vehicles. The experimental work comprises radar measurements including Doppler registrations from a stationary radar observing moving ground vehicles. The data analysis indicates that essential parts of the Doppler fine structure, visible in front and aft aspects, are related to the dimensions of the track of a tracked vehicle and thereby present the possibility to use this structure for discrimination or classification. The interpretation of the Doppler signature requires the target heading relative to the target direction to be known.