Radar
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Form | RAdio Detection And Ranging |
| Working Principle | Emits radio waves and analyzes the reflected signals to determine distance, speed, or object size. |
| Key Components | – Transmitter – Antenna – Receiver – Signal Processor – Display Unit |
| Types | – Pulsed Radar – Continuous Wave Radar – Doppler Radar – Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) – Phased Array Radar |
| Primary Functions | – Detection – Tracking – Imaging – Measurement |
| Frequency Bands | – HF (3-30 MHz) – VHF (30-300 MHz) – UHF (300 MHz-3 GHz) – S-band (2-4 GHz) – X-band (8-12 GHz) |
| Applications | – Aerospace: Air traffic control, collision avoidance, weather detection, aircraft navigation. – Military and Defense: Surveillance, missile guidance, target acquisition, battlefield monitoring. – Meteorology: Weather forecasting, storm tracking, precipitation measurement. – Navigation: Ship and submarine navigation, collision avoidance at sea, harbor monitoring. – Space Exploration: Tracking space debris, satellite positioning, planetary surface mapping. – Automotive: Adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, autonomous driving. – Geology and Earth Sciences: Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) for subsurface exploration, archeology. – Marine Applications: Vessel tracking, iceberg detection, fishery monitoring. – Search and Rescue: Locating objects or survivors in disasters. – Law Enforcement: Speed monitoring (radar guns), border security. – Industrial Applications: Level measurement in tanks, conveyor belt monitoring, automation in manufacturing. – Healthcare: Monitoring patient movement, contactless vital sign detection. – Sports: Measuring ball speed, tracking movement in sports analytics. – Wildlife Monitoring: Tracking animal migration, particularly birds, bats, and insects, using Doppler and weather radars for ecological research. |
| Advantages | – Operates in all weather conditions – Long-range detection – High precision |
| Limitations | – Limited to line-of-sight – Signal attenuation in certain environments – Interference from other sources |
| Historical Context | Invented in the 1930s; extensively used during World War II for detecting enemy aircraft and ships. |
| Current Advancements | – Active Electronically Scanned Arrays (AESA) – Integration with AI for advanced processing |
