A radar echo emulator for the evaluation of automotive radar sensors

Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and Pre-Collision Systems (PCS) are beginning to be implemented by major automotive manufactures. AEB systems utilize automotive radar sensors operating in the 77 GHz frequency band for target detection, as well as other sensors such as camera, and infrared. Currently, the Euro NCAP Vehicle Target (EVT) is selected as the European standard target for evaluating PCS radar performance under defined AEB testing scenarios [1]-[3]. The main goal of this research effort was developing a compact 76–78 GHz radar echo emulator (REE) to replace the complex radar scattering and absorbing treatment inside EVT (Figure 6)[2]. The proposed REE receives signals transmitted from the PCS radar mounted on the training vehicle under test (VUT) and then transmits modified radar signals back to PCS radar bearing the similar range-dependent radar cross section (RCS) property as EVT. Additionally, this paper details a technique for characterizing the “near-field RCS” of a target at close range which is necessary for evaluating AEB performance.