Data Processing and Imaging in GPR System Dedicated for Landmine Detection

Abstract

Improvements of GPR technology can be attained by making adjustments specific for the application of landmine detection on three levels: system design, data acquisition and data processing. In this paper we describe data processing algorithms specially developed for a novel video impulse ultra-wide band front end. With this front end, three-dimensional measurements (C-scans) have been carried out over a controlled test site, using a non-metallic scanner. The test site contained surface-laid and shallow buried landmines, both antitank and antipersonnel, made of plastic, wood, and metal. Because of practical limitations, the data have been acquired on an irregular grid. We have designed data preprocessing and imaging algorithms such that they take into account the specific antenna geometry and its elevation above the ground as well as the irregularity of the data acquisition grid. We show that by tuning the data pre-processing and imaging to the newly designed radar front end and to the particular data acquisition strategy, we obtain clear subsurface images. The resulting images show the ability of the GPR system to detect and visualize small surface laid and shallow buried targets.