Ubiquitous microwave and mm-wave radars for advanced motion detection

This Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) thesis deepens and expands the study of microwave and millimeter-wave radar for advanced applications of high scientific and industrial/commercial interest in the fields of vital signs detection, motion analysis and gesture recognition. The use of radar in space and harbor navigation will also be discussed for the implementation of a radar system to be mounted on a satellite to detect space debris and enabling the concept of autonomous ship navigation, respectively. A large section is dedicated to enabling communication with patients suffering from neurodegenerative disorders by detecting eye blinking, and touchless respiratory rate detection. Besides, the identification of gestures and movements of the human body that can be interpreted as commands or behaviors of interest. This gives the possibility to monitor the environment for obtaining enhanced security and advanced infotainment systems. Depending on the specific case, continuous wave (CW) radars that exploit the Doppler effect, frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW), and multiple input multiple output (MIMO) techniques will be used. New algorithms were developed during the PhD program to ensure the correct and accurate estimation of the target displacement, from millimeters to micrometers. Customized micro-Doppler elaborations were implemented to stand out each frequency component of micro- and multi-motions of multiple targets. By studying how the radar should be positioned to mitigate the effects of random body motions, the thesis improves the recognition of the movement of a single part of the body, from the arm to the hand, from the head to the eyelid. All things considered, a primary purpose of this dissertation is to demonstrate that radar is becoming a ubiquitous tool for advanced, reliable and comfortable motion detection.