Imaging Performance of 79 GHz MIMO Radars: High-Resolution 4D Snapshots, Grid Maps, and SAR

For autonomous driving, the accurate perception of the vehicle’s environment is a key requirement. For this purpose, radar sensors provide reliable images, even in poor lighting or weather conditions. In this paper, the imaging performance of snapshots obtained from a high-resolution 4D radar with 1728 channels is compared to occupancy grid maps (OGMs) and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images captured with a low-end sensor. Therefore, measurements are performed on a parking lot, representing a typical automotive scenario. Additionally, OGMs obtained from both the low-end sensor and the 4D imaging radar are compared. SAR images show the best imaging performance, overcoming shadowing effects and the degradation due to angular sidelobes. However, the snapshots from the 4D imaging radar also contain the relevant targets and provide velocity and height information at the same time.