Angle of Arrival versus Multipath Propagation Method for Curbstone Height Estimation in Automotive Radar Application

Abstract:
Target height estimation plays an important role in automotive radar parking scenarios or autonomous driving. For example, knowing a curb's height can assist in deciding whether it is traversable as well as avoiding collision. In this paper, two signal processing methods for this purpose are assessed. The first approach calculates the angle of arrival (AoA) of the received signals by processing the virtual channels offered by multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas. In the second method, the radar wave multipath propagation model in combination with super-resolution algorithms, namely ESPRIT and MUSIC, is exploited to calculate the curb height considering the geometry of antennas. The theory behind this method is discussed in detail, and the results are evaluated using a 77 GHz Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radar.