Forward-looking InSAR image pixel-level fusing for unmanned ground vehicle unconstructed field perception
We have present a forward-looking InSAR sensor for Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) to sense the complex unconstructed roads which are challenge environments face by UGVs. The forward-looking InSAR can provide a scattering image, a coherence image and a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) of the same scene ahead the radar during each scan. Each type of image can highlight some unique features of an obstacle and the features are complementary. In the scattering image, a positive obstacle features a strong leading edge and a weak shadow; while a negative obstacle features a weak body and a strong trailing edge. In the coherence image, the weak areas are emphasized and are easy to be segmented. In the DTM, the height profiles of the visible parts of the positive and negative obstacle can be extracted for target discrimination. Pixel-level image fusing results have demonstrated the potential to boost topography mapping fidelity and to improve discrimination performance between positive and negative obstacles.