A SAR-based algorithms for imaging of landmines with gpr

In this paper we propose a new algorithm for enhancement of imaging of plastic cased antipersonnel landmines using a video-impulse GPR. The algorithm is implemented as a non-linear waveform based signal processor integrated with a SAR focusing procedure. The algorithm constructs a SAR-like image of the subsurface using the ouputs of the signal processor searches for presence of reference waveform in raw ID GPR echo-returns and compresses in time all responses similar to it. Simultaneously, the responses with different waveforms which presumably correspond to clutter, are suppressed. The shape of the predefined reference waveform depends on the angle at which the imaged point is illuminated. This algorithm is integrated into an automated data processing and mine detection scheme generating a detection list. The reference waveform and other algorithm parameters are determined from training datasets acquired in a controlled environment. The performance of the sequence of the signal processor without angle dependency and SAR and against a scheme involving a cross-correlation of the input with the same reference wavelet. The improvement achieved by the suggested algorithm is demonstrated in terms of ROC curves.