Research Projects

Faculty in the Electrical, Computer, Software, and Systems Engineering Department at Embry-Riddle are developing new radar that may alter the paradigm of locating aircraft.

Unlike standard radars that generate high-power radio pulses and listen for the return echoes indicating aircraft, the SABER system has no transmitter of its own. Instead, the researchers use weak echoes of signals from existing satellites high above the Earth to locate their quarry.Passive radars exploiting environmental signals are not uncommon and systems using television and radio stations have been known for more than a decade; however, systems using satellites are unique. Satellite signals are much weaker than ground-based signals, and are often considered too weak to be useful. The key, says Barott, is in the signal processing, which is able to identify the very weak echoes - and thus the aircraft - among the sea of radio noise and interfering signals.

Passive radars exploiting environmental signals are not uncommon and systems using television and radio stations have been known for more than a decade; however, systems using satellites are unique. Satellite signals are much weaker than ground-based signals, and are often considered too weak to be useful. The key, says Barott, is in the signal processing, which is able to identify the very weak echoes - and thus the aircraft - among the sea of radio noise and interfering signals.The researchers envision many applications for passive radars using satellite-based signals. To start with, a network of inexpensive stations could supplement existing systems for tracking low-altitude aircraft, and provide coverage in mountainous regions where little radar coverage currently exists. “It's a similar idea to why you might get satellite television,” says Barott. “Remote locations and rough terrain might block ground-based signals, but are no problem for satellites sending their signals down from orbit.” Other applications include rapid deployment radars and approach radars for remote airfields. The researchers also note potential applications utilizing the covert and stealth-detecting aspects of this type of radar