Simulations and Measurements of the Bistatic Radar Cross Section of Vulnerable Road Users between 2 GHz and 6 GHz

Automotive radar systems become more and more indispensable for advanced driving assistance systems. Beside existing monostatic radar, bistatic radar sensing, like passive coherent location, provide additional options to augment the radar visibility of vulnerable road users. Assured by the planned coexistence of different wireless standards like ITS-G5 and LTE-V, multiple new illuminators-of-opportunity can be applied to increase awareness and safety in complex traffic scenarios. Regarding the bistatic radar cross section of vulnerable road users, the frequency range of interest extends from about 450 MHz to 6 GHz. This paper provides simulation and measurement approaches of bistatic radar cross sections of vulnerable road users like bicycles or pedestrians. Electromagnetic simulations and bistatic measurements of a bicycle are presented and compared. The results show reasonable agreement between simulation and measurement and provide new insight into the wireless environment in a frequency range rarely considered for radar sensing until to-date.