Reasearch Project Details

Through-the-wall radar imaging

Project Description

Project title: Through-the-wall radar imaging for efficient rescue missions

Project number: COICT-ETE19048

Fund: TZS 30,000,000

Executive summary

Through-the-wall radar imaging (TWRI) is an emerging technology that applies electromagnetic waves to detect and visualize objects inside enclosed structures. Recently, TWRI has captured the wide attention of scholars because of its massive applications in rescue missions. For instance, TWRI may be applied by firefighters and defense forces to save people trapped inside a burning building. Furthermore, this promising technology can be applied in military operations to locate causalities. Motivated by the potential advantages of the technology, researchers from the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Department of Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering, undertook a twelve-month research project, titled “Through-the-Wall Radar Imaging for Efficient Rescue Missions,” which has generated impactful results for application in academia and industries.

The project, registered by UDSM and given a registration number COICT-ETE19048, featured multidisciplinary—taking experts and professionals from Mathematics, Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering, and Computer Engineering. The project team, with track records of publications in high-profile journals, focused on the following objectives: firstly, to address state-of-the-art challenges in TWRI; secondly, to create awareness of the technology to a wider community; and, thirdly, to advance our current understanding on issues related to TWRI. Moreover, we engaged postgraduate students in the project for mentorship and capacity building. In collaboration with experts, these students have produced original results that have been published in indexed journals.

Generally, these project achievements create potential research avenues to realize practical applications of through-the-wall radar imaging. Our project has surfaced important research opportunities that may be considered in the future to further improve the current results of TWRI. Given its wide range of real-world applications, results from this technology can, indeed, revolutionize the imaging field. 

Achievements

1. Five MSc students:

• • Mr. Florian Mkemwa - MSc Telecommunications Engineering (2018 - 2020)

Topic: Effective path-loss compensation model based on multipath-exploitation for through-the-wall radar imaging applications  

• • Ms. Candida Mwisomba - MSc Electronics Engineering and Information Technology (2018 - 2020) 

Topic: Fast sparse image reconstruction in through-the-wall radars using                    limited-memory Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno algorithm

• • Mr. Mugundu Rambika - MSc

Topic: Aspect dependent based ghost suppression for extended targets in through-the-wall radar imaging

• • Mr. Joseph Sisala - MSc

Topic: Improved accuracy on multipath exploitation-based localization of indoor target using single marginal antenna

• • Mr. Emmanuel Kassi

Topic: Path-loss compensated multipath exploitation model for multiple target sparse image reconstruction in through-the-wall radars

2. Publications

• Mwisomba, C., Abdalla, A. T., Amour, I., Mkemwa, F., & Maiseli, B. (2021). Fast sparse image reconstruction method in through-the-wall radars using limited memory Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno algorithm. International Journal of Microwave and Wireless Technologies, 1-11.
• Kokumo, E., Maiseli, B., & Abdalla, A. (2019). Target-to-Target Interaction in Through-the-Wall Radars under Path Loss Compensated Multipath Exploitation-Based Signal Model for Sparse Image Reconstruction. Tanzania Journal of Science, 45(3), 382-391.
• Rambika, M., Abdalla, A., Maiseli, B., & Mwambela, A. J. (2020). Performance Evaluation of Aspect Dependent-Based Ghost Suppression Methods for Through-the-Wall Radar Imaging. Tanzania Journal of Science, 46(3), 903-913.
• Sisala, J., & Abdalla, A. T. (2020). Multipath Exploitation-Based Indoor Target Localization Model Using Single Marginal Antenna. Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology, 39(1).

Project Scope and Duration

Scope: This project exploited concepts from through-the-wall radar imaging to develop theoretical methods, algorithms, and techniques for efficient rescue missions. Simulation results were given to validate the performance of the proposed approaches.

Duration: 20^th May 2019 – 31^st August 2021

Project Management

This project was led by Dr. Abdi Abdalla as the Principal Investigator

Project team members

Contacts

Please contact the Principal Investigator for all matters related to the project.

Email: abdit@udsm.ac.tz

Mobile: +255(0)776 188 588

You may also reach the department:

Email: ete@udsm.ac.tz

Telephone: 022 241 0500 (Ext. 2537)