Millimeter wave radar is a sensor that calculates the distance, direction, and movement speed of surrounding obstacles by transmitting millimeter waves (radio waves with a wavelength of about 1-10mm). It has strong ranging capability and excellent weather resistance, and has been widely used in automotive ADAS systems in recent years, thus receiving strong attention from the market.
In fact in addition to in-vehicle applications such as forward collision avoidance and blind zone detection, millimeter wave radar is also well suited for height measurement. Drone altimetry is one of the typical examples.
UAV height measurement is categorized into two types: absolute height measurement and relative height measurement. Absolute altitude measurement refers to the measurement of the altitude of the UAV, which is generally detected using a barometer or GPS; relative altitude measurement is the measurement of the height of the UAV relative to a certain datum, which is commonly used for the takeoff and landing of UAVs, as well as the operation of plant protection UAVs.
In the operation process of plant protection UAV, it is generally required to keep a fixed relative height with crops to ensure the spraying effect of pesticides. Millimeter-wave radar has good weather resistance and anti-interference ability, can penetrate dust and water mist, and will not affect the measurement accuracy because of the electromagnetic wave hitting different reflective surfaces such as stems, leaves, and the ground, which is very suitable for fixing the height of planting environments, and thus gradually becomes the standard equipment of planting UAVs.
The millimeter wave radar used for UAV height fixing has the following characteristics:
1. small size and light weight: unlike vehicle-mounted millimeter wave radar which requires high functionality and safety, UAV radar does not need to realize particularly accurate speed and orientation detection, but it has harsh requirements on the radar's size and weight;
2. low power consumption: UAV radar is powered by batteries, and the power consumption will affect the endurance of the UAV, so there are strict limits on power consumption;
3. narrow beams: narrower beams help reduce clutter and multipath reflections.
In addition to UAV altimetry, millimeter-wave radar is often used for liquid and material level measurement in sewage wells, barns, tanks and other occasions.
Audiowell millimeter wave radar altimeter is a sensor designed for UAVs and other altimetry applications. It adopts 24GHz ISM band, with a range of 30 meters and a minimum beam angle of ±6°, and is characterized by small size, high precision and good anti-interference, which can meet the requirements of altitude measurement in various harsh environments.