A new MMW radar detection feature and its application to the discrimination of tree trunks from surrounding environment

In this paper the problem of target detection and tracking in the presence of clutter is investigated. A new detection feature for target detection and tracking algorithms is introduced. The new feature is based on the complex frequency correlation function, FCF. The introduction of this new feature increases the input vector space of the detection problem, which in turn can potentially enhance the performance of target detection and tracking algorithms. An outdoor measurement campaign (at 35 GHz and 95 GHz) was designed and conducted to examine the usefulness of the new feature in target detection. Based on the acquired data, a simple detection algorithm is proposed, tested, and its performance is evaluated. The algorithm´s ability to discriminate between tree trunks and other nearby targets including man-made targets is demonstrated