Through-the-wall-imaging system wins developer Australian award

Professor Abdesselam Bouzerdoum from theUniversity of Wollongong (New South Wales, Australia) has won the $10,000 Australian 2011 Eureka Prize for Outstanding Science in Support of Defence or National Security for his work developing through-the-wall radar imaging (TWRI) systems.

Through-the-wall radar imaging systems could prove vital when rescue teams need todetect the presence of individuals hidden inside buildings or to know their precise location and movement.

Over the past five years, Bouzerdoum's research has worked to refine the radar technology, notably through developing asurveillance system that does not require prior knowledge of the scene being examined, something which is not feasible in real-life situations.

At present, he is focusing on developing signal-processing techniques to extend the operational range and sensitivity of TWRI systems.

This is expected to lead to the development of a portable TWRI system that supports real-time target detection and tracking, high-resolution 3-D imaging, removal of background clutter and automatic target recognition.

The prize is part of theAustralian Museum Eureka Prizes (Sydney, New South Wales), the most prestigious awards in Australian science. "The Eurekas," as they are known, have become the most coveted science awards in Australia.

-- Posted byVision Systems Design