Nearfield Multiple-Input Multiple-Output Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar for High-Resolution Imaging of Large Objects

The inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) principle is utilized in combination with a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar imaging system in order to generate high-resolution images of large objects. While ISAR imaging requires a time-consuming generation of the synthetic aperture and the physical aperture size of MIMO antenna arrays limits the range and cross-range resolution of the resulting image, the combination of both techniques overcomes these drawbacks and enables fast scanning times with improved range and cross-range resolutions. The presented MIMO-ISAR approach is verified by both, simulative and experimental results.