Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




MILTECH
Mobile radio passive radar makes harbors safer
by Staff Writers
Munich, Germany (SPX) Dec 16, 2014


The PCL system also detects the motion of moving boats. Image courtesy Fraunhofer FKIE.

Many coastal areas and harbors go almost unprotected against acts of terror. Soon a new sensor system relying on signal echoes from cell towers can quickly detect even the smallest of attack boats. This mobile radio passive radar can also help airplanes avoid colliding with wind turbines.

Airports are now subject to careful security surveillance, but many coastal towns and ports are not; they often lack radar installations to keep track of small boats, meaning terrorists could easily use speedboats to approach the coastline and bring explosives on land.

Now, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE in Bonn developed a passive surveillance system for littoral regions based on mobile radio illumination called Passive Coherent Location (PCL).

It passively employs the continuous radio signals emitted by cell towers to detect suspicious boats, including those speedboats favored by pirates for approaching cargo ships. The fusion with electro-optical or infrared systems allows the classification of the different targets.

This new method works in much the same way as radar systems, which send electromagnetic signals toward an object and then collect the echo they return. Similarly, the PCL system detects boats based on reflected electromagnetic radiation from mobile networks. But it's much more difficult to evaluate radio signals than radar. A radar antenna transmits its own well-defined signals into a limited area.

Echoes can be easily interpreted. The new sensor makes use of mobile network radio signals coming from different directions and from different cell towers. It receives a chaotic echo mix from which objects have to be carefully extracted.

"One challenge is that our sensor system tends to pick up the strong signals from the cell towers themselves," says Reda Zemmari, project manager at the FKIE. "The signal echoes reflected off the boats on the water are considerably weaker."

Versatile, mobile system
As a result, the researchers had to develop algorithms to compensate for this shortcoming. Now the software can suppress the strong radio signals coming directly from the cell towers.

"It's handy that different cell towers use different frequencies," Zemmari continues, "because this allows the software to better differentiate between the various signals and echoes. What's more, the system can detect boats that are in motion based on their movement that causes a frequency shift. "Our system continuously checks whether it is correctly assigning signals and correctly interpreting the object's movements," says Zemmari.

During tests off Eckernforde and Fehmarn, the researchers have already successfully tracked speedboats just a few meters in length from four kilometers away.

"Our system can be transported on a small trailer, which means it can be deployed anywhere," says Zemmari - provided there is sufficient mobile network coverage. The research scientist emphasizes that the PCL system doesn't in any way read users' mobile data. "All we use is the transmitter's operating signal, which does not carry customers' data packets."

Preventing acts of terrorism is just one use for the technology. The researchers are currently working on a version for wind turbines. Tall turbine towers must be lit up at night with blinking lights to warn airplane and helicopter pilots.

Unfortunately, the blinking bothers many people. Instead, wind turbines could be equipped with airplane detectors that switch the lights on only when a plane is approaching. Detectors that react to radio signals from airplanes already exist.

"But we need a redundant system in case these break down - and PCL technology is well suited for that task," says Zemmari.


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
Fraunhofer Institute
The latest in Military Technology for the 21st century at SpaceWar.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle




Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News





MILTECH
Dutch sell armored vehicles to Estonia
The Hague, Netherlands (UPI) Dec 11, 2014
The Netherlands has sold Estonia nearly four dozen CV90 armored infantry fighting vehicles it is retiring because of military downsizing. The deal for 44 of the vehicles, made by BAE Systems Hagglunds AB in Sweden, is worth more than $123.9 million and was finalized earlier this week. The contract also includes two bridge-layer vehicles, two recovery and two combat engineer tank ... read more


MILTECH
UK Plans to Drill Into Moon, Explore Feasibility of Manned Base

Carnegie Mellon Unveils Lunar Rover "Andy"

Why we should mine the moon

Young Volcanoes on the Moon

MILTECH
Flash-Memory Reformat Planned

Mars is a Four-Letter Word

Mars mountain may have arisen from lake sediments: NASA

Curiosity finds clues to how water helped shape Mars

MILTECH
France's Accor in strategic alliance with China's Huazhu

NASA parodies 'All about that Bass' to promote space exploration

NASA Exploration Programs Face Cost, Technical, Scheduling Issues

Lessons learned from Orion's first test flight

MILTECH
China's Long March puts satellite in orbit on 200th launch

Countdown to China's new space programs begins

China develops new rocket for manned moon mission: media

Service module of China's returned lunar orbiter reaches L2 point

MILTECH
Boeing Covers Groundwork in Second Milestone For Commercial Crew

Orbital says it will complete ISS deliveries by end of 2016

OPALS: Light Beams Let Data Rates Soar

ATV views Space Station as never before

MILTECH
Soyuz Installed at Baikonur, Expected to Launch Wednesday

NASA, SpaceX reschedule next week's ISS resupply launch

Final payload integration begins for O3b Networks' four satellites

ULA signs Orbital Sciences to launch Cygnus cargo mission to ISS

MILTECH
Finding infant earths and potential life just got easier

Queen's scientist leads study of 'Super-Earth'

Finding infant earths and potential life just got easier

'Mirage Earth' exoplanets may have burned away chances for life

MILTECH
Bioplastic -- greener than ever

China developing space-based 3D printing machine

Airbus Defence and Space signs contract for Microwave Sounder instruments

BAE Systems to produce prototype counter-radar system




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.