PELICAN: Panoramic millimeter-wave radar for perception in mobile robotics applications, Part 1: Principles of FMCW radar and of 2D image construction

Robust environmental perception is a crucial parameter for the development of autonomous ground vehicle applications, especially in the field of agricultural robotics which is one of the priorities for the Horizon 2020 robotics funding (EU funding program for research and innovation). Because of uncontrolled and changing environmental conditions in outdoor and natural environments, data from optical sensors classically used in mobile robotics can be compromised and unusable. In such situations, millimeter-wave radar can provide an alternative and complementary solution for perception tasks. The aim of this paper is to present the PELICAN radar, a millimeter-wave radar specifically designed for mobile robotics applications, including obstacle detection, mapping and situational awareness in general. In this first of a two-part paper, the choice of a frequency-modulated continuous-wave radar is explained and the theoretical elements of this solution are detailed. PELICAN radar is using a rotating fan-beam antenna, and the construction of 2D representations of the surrounding environments with radar data is described through simulation results. The second part of the paper will be devoted for a detailed description of PELICAN radar, as well as experimental results.