Theses

Radar target emulators (RTE) are used to test automotive radars by emulating a virtual radio environment. This is accomplished by receiving the transmitted radar waveform, modifying it and sending it back to the radar. If the waveform of the radar is not known, the RTE must be designed to handle waveforms of arbitrary bandwidth and complexity. However, if a-priori information about the waveform is available, the RTE architecture can be optimized for that waveform to lower hardware costs, reduce instantaneous bandwidth, increase the number of echoes, and more. Within this thesis, different RTE transceiver concepts that make use of a-priori information shall be investigated.

Methods: Literature study, modelling and simulation of different RTE architectures with suitable SW tools (e.g. Matlab), theoretical investigation of key parameters and limitations.

Type: Master thesis

Supervisor:  Thomas Dallmann

In order to avoid traffic accidents, the radar sensor is very important to provide detailed information about the environment of the vehicle. Therefore, radar data quality and radar signal processing must be suited to eliminate malfunction of the radar sensors. Propagation of radar signals depends on the characteristics of the propagation medium. Factors such pressure, temperature and precipitation are effecting the radar signal. In this thesis, a test setup shall be developed which enables to investigate the influence of rainfall (rain rate, rain drop size etc.) to the radar signal propagation. The results of the investigation, shall be used for comparison with existing rainfall models.

Methods: Literature study, statistical data processing, modeling and simulation, hardware setup based on 3D disdrometer and radar sensors

Type: Bachelor or master thesis

Supervisor:  Elshad Guliyev

Radar Target Emulators (RTE) are used to modify the waveform sent out by a radar by receiving it, modifying it and sending it back to the radar in order to test the radar in different virtual environments. The RTE includes RF components such as: antenna, transmission line, amplifier, mixer etc. Each component can contribute to the noise figure of the system and the distortion of the signal and thus can cause an unintended change to the original radar waveform. In the scope of this thesis it shall be investigated how the radar waveform is affected by the transmission line and other components of the RTE.

Methods: Literature study, modelling and simulation of the interaction/ influence of the components as well as transmission lines with suitable SW tools (e.g. Matlab, CST), experimental verification through measurements.

Type: Bachelor or master thesis

Supervisor:  Elshad Guliyev

Influence of precipitation clutter on the detection performace of automotive radar sensors has to be evaluated, in order to verify and validate them. For verification and validation of the radar sensors, radar target emulators are an important tool.

Within this thesis, already measured precipitation data shall be analysed and processed. The measurements shall be complemented by further experiments if required. Based on the analysis, a precipitation model shall be implemented for future integration into the radar target emulator. The realized precipitation model shall be verfied by further measurements.

Methods: Literature study, signal and data processing, modeling and simulation with suitable tools (e.g. Matlab, Python), validation of model through measurements.

Type: Bachelor or master thesis

Supervisor:  Elshad Guliyev

When multiple automotive radar sensors are used to observe a traffic scenario from different perspectives, each sensor can perceive information about the scenario that is inaccessible to the other sensors. By merging the information of all sensors, more comprehensive and detailed statements can be made about the environment. This promises that radar targets such as pedestrians will be noticed earlier and more reliably. To ensure that the radars do not interfere with each other and their data can be merged successfully, the radars must be synchronized. Within this thesis, waveform-based synchronization methods shall be further investigated and tested using suitable hardware. The work can be based on initial findings which are already available.

Methods: Literature study, modelling and simulation of synchronization methods with suitable SW tools (e.g. Matlab), experimental verification through measurements.

Type: Master thesis

Supervisor:  Vimukthi Herath

With the current development towards autonomous driving, the number of sensors per vehicle is expected to grow significantly. Additionally, future sensors will require larger bandwidths, longer frame durations, and higher frame repetition rates. Since the available spectrum needs to be shared among all participants, interference will limit the performance of radar sensors.  Furthermore ever-increasing demands on the abilities of the radars on resolution and unambiguously measurable ranges push the established radars to their inherent limitations given by the analog hardware. This on the other hand allows for the first time to realize digital-centric radar designs on chip, shifting the effort to the digital domain with systems based on known waveforms such as orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) and as well as recently proposed waveforms such as orthogonal chirp division multiplex (OCDM). Within this thesis, the student shall investigate interference between OFDM and OCDM waveforms and systems based on simulations and possibly measurements.

Methods: Literature study, modelling and simulation of interference with suitable SW tools (e.g. Matlab, Python), possibly experimental verification through measurements.

Type: Master thesis

Supervisor:  Vimukthi Herath

Within this thesis the student shall investigate the performance of 5G communication infrastructure using protocols based on Einstein synchronization. A Simulation framework will be used to evaluate these synchronization methods. These methods will be required in implementing proposed JCRS system concepts. Proposed system architectures which include RRUs will measure mutual two-way roundtrips and exchange timing information using protocol-based methods. Within this thesis, methods will be exploited for the distribution of time stamps in multipoint JCRS networks. Furthermore, the achievable synchronization latency and synchronization precision will be expressed using appropriated criteria.

Methods: Literature study, modelling and simulation of synchronization with suitable SW tools (e.g. Matlab, Python).

Type: Master thesis

Supervisor:  Vimukthi Herath