Description

This is a lecture on the workings of basic radar. Radar stands for Radio Detection and Ranging, and it is one of the inventions that changed the world. Radar transmits radio frequency (RF) waves into the environment and receives reflected signals from the objects in that environment, thereby detecting targets and generating images. Initially, radars were used for defense applications only. It was in the late 1930s that the first radar was developed for defense application, and since then radar technology is continuously developing. Now radars have ubiquitous use in a number of non-defense applications as well, where they are playing a crucial role, such as air and road traffic control, biomedical, and under-water navigation. This lecture will also include state of the art modern radar technologies and avenues for research. This lecture will provide participants the necessary background information for the workshop portion of the course (workshop taking place 14, 15 and 16 Jan) and stimulate interest in the topic. The lecture is open to everyone but those wishing to attend the workshop must attend this lecture.