Antenna array design solutions for millimeter-wave vehicle-integrated automotive radars

Abstract

Radar sensors are crucial components of advanced driver assistance systems. In order to cope with the future requirements of highly automated and autonomous driving, today’s automotive radar sensors performance needs to be improved. This dissertation addresses the design and development of robust mm-wave antenna systems suitable for automotive radar applications. This study presents a microstrip antenna array with wideband and stable radiation performance. It proposes also an optimization strategy for finding the position of transmitting and receiving antennas in a MIMO radar while taking the angular resolution requirements into consideration. Finally, it analyzes the problem of the integration of the radar sensor in the vehicle and introduces the use of low-RCS antenna arrays to mitigate the multiple reflections between the bumper of the car and the radar sensor, when the latter is hidden integrated in the vehicle. Some low-RCS antenna designs are proposed and discussed.