This paper presents research concerning the use of visual-inertial Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (SLAM) algorithms to aid in Continuous Wave (CW) radar target mapping. SLAM is an established field in which radar has been used to internally contribute to the localization algorithms. Instead, the application in this case is to use SLAM outputs to localize radar data and construct three-dimensional target maps which can be viewed live in augmented reality. These methods are transferable to other types of radar units and sensors, but this paper presents the research showing how the methods can be applied to calculate depth efficiently with CW radar through triangulation using a Boolean intersection algorithm. Localization of the radar target is achieved through quaternion algebra. Due to the compact nature of the SLAM and CW devices, the radar unit can be operated entirely handheld. Targets are scanned in a free-form manner where there is no need to have a gridded scanning layout. The main advantage to this method is eliminating many hours of usage training and expertise, thereby eliminating ambiguity in the location, size and depth of buried or hidden targets. Additionally, this method grants the user the additional power, penetration and sensitivity of CW radar without the lack of range finding. Applications include pipe and buried structure location, avalanche rescue, structural health monitoring and historical site research.
This paper presents research on the use of penetrating radar combined with 3-D computer vision for real-time augmented reality enabled target sensing. Small scale radar systems face the issue that positioning systems are inaccurate, non-portable or challenged by poor GPS signals. The addition of modern computer vision to current cutting-edge penetrating radar technology expands the common 2-D imaging plane to 6 degrees of freedom. Applying the fact that the radar scan itself is a vector with length equivalent to depth from the transmitting and receiving antennae, these technologies used in conjunction can generate an accurate 3-D model of the internal structure of any material for which radar can penetrate. The same computer vision device that localizes the radar data can also be used as the basis for an augmented reality system. Augmented reality radar technology has applications in threat detection (human through-wall, IED, landmine) as well as civil (wall and floor structure, buried item detection). For this project, the goal is to create a data registration pipeline and display the radar scan data visually in a 3-D environment using localization from a computer vision tracking device. Processed radar traces are overlayed in real time to an augmented reality screen where the user can view the radar signal intensity to identify and classify targets.
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