Georadar PikoR: Road pavement thickness measurement, searching for objects in the ground, through wall imaging
Through-Wall Imaging device for motion detection over obstacles PicoR-Bio is designed to detect people over the walls, under the rubble and any optically opaque barriers (walls and floors of buildings, including concrete slabs, unlit rooms, piles of building materials, damaged structures and rock avalanches, etc.), both moving and stationary (by wiggling and breathing). The device allows the operator to see people in the room “through walls” to determine the distance to them in real time, also the operator can see whether they are moving or not.
Areas of application:
- detection of people behind walls, in rooms with closed doors for the assault teams of police, army, secret services, for intelligence;
- detection of people under the rubble of buildings, snow avalanches caused by earthquakes and disasters.
The PicoR-Bio device was tested together with the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations to detect people under the rubble caused by earthquakes and technogenic disasters. Together with the EMERCOM it has developed recommendations for the use of a mobile radar system detecting victims in the rubble. It was obtained a number of patents on the device, software, and methods of using it.
This device is connected to a PC (with Windows OS) via USB cable. The operator using SKI-Bio software can control the device parameters and see objects detected on a radargram in a real-time. Software also allows to record any signal for further analysis.
PicoR-Bio is fully safe for the operator and detected objects. Its radiated power distributed in a wide frequency range is extremely small. During its work the device does not interfere with other radio equipment and is immune to interference itself.
The device has the ability to work pressed to or spaced from the wall or rubble surface.
PicoR-Bio device uses ultrashort pulses of radio waves with high performance penetration through walls and floors (made of standard building materials, including bricks, blocks, concrete floors, including concrete, wood eams, plaster, wallpaper, as well as office furniture, glass, etc.) The only screening material is metal barriers.
The device comprises:
- antenna module PicoR-2;
- portable computer such as a laptop or a tablet PC based on Windows OS with the SKI-Bio software;
- USB cable for data transmission and power of antenna module.
Also the device can be equipped with an optional unit anchor the computer to the operator's body.
The operation principle of the device is that the operator directs the antenna module to the wall (optimally pressed to the wall to reduce the signal reflected from it). Then he visually observe on the computer screen changes in the radiogram of the reflected signal when objects move behind the wall.
One of the conditions for correct device operation is no significant movements of objects in the rear hemisphere pattern of its antennas because due to its very high sensitivity the device may show operator movements as well. Therefore the operator should be on the maximum possible distance from the device, over some obstacles or not making any significant movements. In such cases "false" acquired data is easy to identify and ignore.
To verify and adjust the device, surveillance cameras can be placed in rooms, which are being scanned by the device. Thus you can always check the information being showed on the device and train the operator to interpret the radargramm data.
Key benefits of Through-Wall Imaging device PicoR-Bio:
- reliable detection of humans behind the walls and rubble of any standard building materials;
- separate detection of objects in vicinity of each other (at a distance of 0.5 m);
- simultaneous moving and stationary objects detection;
- user-friendly interface that provides control of device parameters and intuitive interpretation the radargramm;
- the ability to work pressed to or spaced from the wall;
- immunity to interference and safety;
- maximum object detection range - 20 m, no "dead zones";
- product price is several times lower than other market offers.
Technical data:
| Operating range with the possibility of the reference shift | up to 20 m |
| Resolution | 1 cm |
| Thickness of brick wall over which the person is detected | not less than 0,8 m |
| Building materials through which the device can work | brick, concrete, reinforced concrete, stone, stucco wall, drywall, etc. |
| Angle of view | 60 deg. in the horizontal plane, 80 deg. in the vertical plane |
| Size of antenna module | 410 x 270 x 68 mm |
| Weight of antenna module | 1,8 kg |
| Battery life (using tablet PC) | 4 hours |
| Operating temperature range | -20 ... +50 degrees |
| Ingress protection of antenna module | IP66 |
Detection characteristics over obstacles
(experimental and calculated data):
| Building material | Thickness | Movements detection | Breathing/wiggling detection |
| Air | - | 20 m | 7 m |
| Reinforced concrete slab | 25 cm | 7 m | 2 m |
| Dense concrete | 50 cm | 1 m | - |
| Double glazed windows | 1 cm | 5 m | 1,5 m |
| Brick | 40 cm | 7 m | 2,5 m |
| Sand | 90 cm | 5 m | 1,5 m |
| Snow (when coming avalanche) | 3 m | 3 m |
Price: on request