Research Projects - Radar

In numerous areas of electrical engineering such as radar, imaging and communication technology, there is currently a competition between technologies: integrated optics is competing directly with classic CMOS circuit technology for very high frequency ranges above 300 GHz. As integrated optics is not yet suitable for mass production, CMOS circuits for the so-called terahertz range are of particular interest to industry and are therefore the subject of the latest research.

Some of these circuits are to be realized as part of the DFG-funded project “TIEMPO” in cooperation with the TU Dresden and the FAU Erlangen-Nümberg. The aim is to develop a radar system in a frequency range of 220 GHz to 420 GHz. The high bandwidth makes it possible to achieve resolutions of less than one millimeter through clever signal processing.

This results in a wide range of application areas such as the recognition of gestures or material defects in products, as well as integration into the future 6G mobile communications standard, particularly with regard to self-driving cars. The development of the ultra-high frequency components in Globalfoundries' 22nm CMOS technology and the subsequent measurement of these pose particular challenges. These must be mastered in the course of the project, whereby there are numerous opportunities for final theses or student assistant positions. FPGA development, signal processing and system simulations through to millimeter wave circuit technology, antenna design and the design of so-called metasurfaces are currently the most important topics of the project. If you are interested, please contact the responsible employee (Finn Stapelfeldt).

Sensory occupant detection for safe autonomous driving using radar

The introduction of safe autonomous vehicles requires reliable occupant monitoring (“in-cabin sensing”). Radar sensors are very well suited for this and have clear acceptance advantages over camera-based systems due to their inherent privacy protection. However, the spatial, speed and angular resolution of the sensors must be significantly improved compared to the state of the art. This requires an increase in usable bandwidth, operating frequency and the number of virtual reception channels.

In SICHER, a high-resolution radar sensor with a highly integrated broadband transceiver in SiGe BICMOS technology will therefore be developed as a key component. In addition to technology and circuit development, the development of AI-based algorithms for object recognition and classification as well as for the detection of gestures and vital parameters for direct attention assessment is a focal point. They are to be implemented close to the sensor in embedded AI accelerators.

The performance of the multifunctional sensor technology, including the AI algorithms for deriving vital parameters, is demonstrated in the laboratory and in the test vehicle.

SICHER is one of the four projects in the “NovoMotive” family, which has set itself the goal of using standards to create technology standards for tomorrow's automotive electronics systems. The use of synergies through the exchange and transfer of results within the project family increases the benefits of the project results and enables a sustainable influence on the entire automotive industry.