Compressive sensing and sparse array processing has provided new approaches to improve radar imaging systems. This paper, explores the potential of sparse Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) radar arrays to significantly reduce the cost of through-the-wall imaging (TWI). We analyze three well-known sparse array structures-nested arrays, co-prime arrays and random arrays-and examine their performance in the presence of common types of layered walls. The reconstruction is performed by formulating and solving a wall parameter estimation problem in conjunction with a sparse reconstruction problem that takes the wall parameters into account. Our simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach and validate the performance of the system for the three different MIMO sparse array structures.
IEEE Sensor Array and Multichannel Signal Processing Workshop (SAM), 2014This work may not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part for any commercial purpose. Permission to copy in whole or in part without payment of fee is granted for nonprofit educational and research purposes provided that all such whole or partial copies include the following: a notice that such copying is by permission of Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.; an acknowledgment of the authors and individual contributions to the work; and all applicable portions of the copyright notice. Copying, reproduction, or republishing for any other purpose shall require a license with payment of fee to Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. All rights reserved. Abstract-Compressive sensing and sparse array processing has provided new approaches to improve radar imaging systems. This paper, explores the potential of sparse Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) radar arrays to significantly reduce the cost of through-the-wall imaging (TWI). We analyze three well-known sparse array structures-nested arrays, co-prime arrays and random arrays-and examine their performance in the presence of common types of layered walls. The reconstruction is performed by formulating and solving a wall parameter estimation problem in conjunction with a sparse reconstruction problem that takes the wall parameters into account. Our simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach and validate the performance of the system for the three different MIMO sparse array structures.Index Terms-Through-the-wall, MIMO sparse arrays, Sparse image reconstruction, compressive sensing.