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Passive millimeter-wave imaging system with variable focal length optical configuration

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Abstract

Passive millimeter-wave (PMMW) imaging systems are widely used in concealed weapon detection due to their passive nature. Improving imaging resolution according to target distance is an essential technique in these systems, and it plays a vital role in detecting concealed weapons. Hence, a variable focal length optical configuration has been applied to a PMMW imaging system to enhance imaging resolution depending on the target distance. In this way, it is possible to set the system for variable target distances. The system parameters, aside from the effective focal length and the target distances, were kept constant throughout the tests. Experiments were carried out taking into account the detection of concealed weapons up to 45 m in indoor environments, and the results were presented. The experiments validate that it is possible to improve the resolution of PMMW images using the optical setup with a variable focal length. As a consequence, this research will contribute to the development of PMMW imaging systems against suicide bombers in the near future to detect concealed weapons at long target ranges.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my colleague Sinan Kaan Yerli and research assistant Ibrahim Murat Öztürk for their laboratory equipment support. In this article, the tests were done in the Department of Physics.

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No funding was received to assist with the preparation of this manuscript.

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  1. Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara, Turkey

    A. Ünal

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  1. A. Ünal
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Correspondence to A. Ünal.

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The author has no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article. Based on this research, the author declares the patent application with the international application number PCT/TR2019/050064. The patent applicant is Middle East Technical University, and the inventor is Ahmet Ünal.

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Ünal, A. Passive millimeter-wave imaging system with variable focal length optical configuration. J Opt 52, 1826–1836 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12596-023-01198-7

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