When Drones Fly Beneath the Radar
August 22, 2017 | DTUEstimated reading time: 6 minutes
It turned out that this solution is also very good for drone monitoring, which is otherwise a challenge for traditional radar systems. Peder R. Pedersen explains: “Helicopter drones are able to fly very slowly. This makes them difficult to detect using a pulse radar—but not for a Doppler radar system. Because even though the drone as a whole is moving slowly, the rotors are moving around very fast, and produce the distinctive signal in a Doppler radar.”
However, it was not plain sailing transferring the technology which had been used for the Indonesian solution to one which could be used for drone monitoring.
“In addition to their small size and the fact that they can fly extremely low, drones pose several other challenges. Helicopter drones in particular are extremely manoeuvrable. A skilled drone pilot can exploit this to conceal the drone between irrelevant objects such as trees, buildings, birds, etc.,” says Peder R. Pedersen.
Weibel Scientific therefore decided to join forces with another Danish company—Copenhagen Sensor Technology (CST), which developed an optical system which has been integrated with Weibel’s radar. By combining radar and optical sensors, it becomes much more feasible to track a drone while avoiding false alarms, for example when a bird flies past. The optical sensors also help to identify the drone.
Special competences required
“The radar system’s software is being optimized all the time. In fact, one of our engineer groups is permanently assigned to the task. And it is this area where we have the greatest problems finding enough new employees with the right competences,” says Peder R. Pedersen. “Radar algorithms are similar to those used in image processing for medical devices etc., so we are competing with other sectors for the same expertise. Sometimes, there are even projects which our customers want us to help with, but where I have to say no.”
It is relatively easy to recruit employees with microwave and mechanics competences, which are the two other main areas where Weibel employs engineers.
“Over the years, we have had a lot of Master’s students and people doing their PhD projects, and usually we have employed them afterwards,” says Peder R. Pedersen, who is a member of DTU Electrical Engineering’s Advisory Board.
“All in all, it is natural for us to recruit from DTU because of its proximity and the strong research environment within microwaves, which in effect gave birth to the company.”
Original by: Morten Andersen
Page 2 of 2Suggested Items
Industrial PC Market Size to Record $1.75 Billion Growth from 2023-2027
05/03/2024 | PRNewswireThe global industrial pc market size is estimated to grow by USD 1.75 billion from 2023 to 2027, according to Technavio. This growth is expected to occur at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of almost 6.29% during the forecast period.
Real Time with… IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Sigma Engineering's Recycling and Regeneration Systems for PCB Etching
05/02/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOEvan Howard of Schmoll America interviews Kristoffer Bjorklund, Sigma Engineering's supply chain manager. We learn about Sigma's recycling and regeneration systems for PCB industry etching and the benefits and challenges of implementing these systems in existing factories.
QinetiQ Achieves UK’s First Jet-to-Jet Teaming Between Aircraft and Autonomous Drone
04/29/2024 | QinetiQQinetiQ has successfully trialled the UK’s first Crewed-Uncrewed-Teaming demonstration between a crewed aircraft and an autonomous jet drone.
Lockheed Martin Successfully Transitions Long Range Discrimination Radar To The Missile Defense Agency
04/23/2024 | Lockheed MartinThe Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) at Clear Space Force Station in Clear, Alaska, completed DD250 final acceptance and was officially handed over to the Missile Defense Agency in preparation for an Operational Capability Baseline (OCB) decision and final transition to the Warfighter. In addition, prior to this transition, the system has started Space Domain Awareness data collects for the United States Space Force.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2024: AI Implementation at Omron
04/18/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOEditor Nolan Johnson and Omron Product Manager Nick Fieldhouse discuss the company's focus on AI implementation to enhance customer experience and results. They address programming challenges and how AI can help customers achieve better outcomes with less experience. Omron's AI is compatible with existing systems, facilitating easy upgrades.