Geometric Parameter Estimation of Buried Objects in Near-Field Microwave Images

We present a method to estimate and quantify geometric parameters of a buried object in near-field microwave images. These parameters are shape, location, size, and orientation. Unlike the parameter estimation based on a conventional ground-penetrating radar image, a 3-D well-focused coherent image is generated. Instead of choosing a
$z$
-slice of the 3-D image, both 2-D projection and shadow projection images are used to perform the parameter estimation. The shape of the buried object is determined based on both
$\boldsymbol x$
- and
$y$
-polarized images. Other geometric parameters, such as location, size, and orientation, are estimated by the method of spatial moments. Both numerical and experimental data of an object buried in a dielectric slab are used to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed geometric parameter estimation algorithm.