Characterization of mm-wave conformal antenna arrays for a 3x8 MIMO radar

Abstract

In a number of applications millimeter-wave multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radars are widely employed. The use of conformal antenna arrays has been recently proposed to improve the radar sensor performance. This paper presents an optimization algorithm for finding the antenna placement in a non-planar arrangement. The experimental characterization of two prototypes based on radar measurements with an experimental 3 × 8 MIMO radar sensor confirms the results predicted by the numerical simulations. The direction of arrival estimation has been performed successfully, and the measured beampatterns are in very good agreement with the simulated ones.