UTC 2022 Funding - Cycle 1 Research Projects

Project No.: CY1-OU-02
Title: Surface Penetration and Imaging for Infrastructure Inspection Using Radar Sensors as UAS Payload
Performing Institution: University of Oklahoma
Principal Investigator: Yan (Rockee) Zhang and Hernan Suarez, University of Oklahoma
Start and Anticipated Completion Dates: 10/1/2023-09/30/2024
Project Description: This project aims to improve the automatic inspection capability of infrastructure under all-weather conditions. The specific objectives include: (1) Develop and demonstrate a new low-size, weight, and power radar sensor that meets the unmanned aerial system (UAS) payload requirements and the need for surface penetration inspections; (2) Establish a formal operational procedure that can be applied to the regional and national tasks; (3) Evaluate the performance and capability of an integrated UAS system and sensing payload through data collections under different environments; and (4) Achieve dual-function (imaging and profiling) through existing signal processing and applying novel machine-learning methods. The proposed solution will bring significant benefits compared to the state of the art in the following ways: (1) Capability of inspecting underneath structure anomalies and problems; (2) Capability of penetrating the surface coverage such as dirt, rain, snow, or ice for examination of structure below; (3) Capability of operation near or within adverse weather and climatic conditions, where the infrastructures are mostly in danger; and (4) Either using radar alone or in combination with cameras, the proposed sensor package would provide a reliable solution for surface structure inspection and potentially sub-surface non-destructive testing and examination from a standoff distance, under all-weather conditions, such as snow and dust coverage.
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