Instantaneous Velocity Vector Estimation Using a Single MIMO Radar Via Multi-Bounce Scattering

Multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) radars can estimate radial velocities of moving objects, but not their tangential velocities. In this paper, we propose to exploit multi-bounce scattering in the environment to form an effective multi-“look” synthetic aperture and enable estimation of a moving object's entire velocity vector - both tangential and radial velocities. The proposed approach enables instantaneous velocity vector estimation with a single MIMO radar, without additional sensors or assumptions about the object size. The only requirement of our approach is the existence of at least one resolvable multi-bounce path to the object from a static landmark in the environment. The approach is validated both in theory and simulation.