You may not even realize the fact that we use radar sensors in various ways in our everyday lives. A radar sensor system can be used for everything from providing you with the weather forecast, to controlling traffic, and they’re even included in onboard vehicle systems. Recently they’ve also been used in wearable devices, smart building technology, and autonomous vehicles.

What a Radar Sensor Is

A radar sensor is a conversion device that transforms microwave echo signals into digital signals. This is done via wireless sensing technology that’s capable of detecting motion. This is done by determining where an object is located, what it’s shaped like, and how it moves. While some sensors are affected by light and darkness, radar sensors are unaffected by this and can even detect various obstructions (e.g. glass, walls). It can also see longer distances than other sensor technology (e.g. ultrasound) and is safe for both humans and animals alike.

Benefits of Radar Sensors

While there are a lot of benefits to using radar sensors today one of the biggest advantages is that they can detect both motion and velocity. This is done by detecting an object’s Doppler effect (change in wave frequency). It allows the radar to compute an object’s speed and determine in what direction the object is traveling. When multi-channel sensors are used the movement can even be observed from different perspectives – something that helps in determining more complex movements.

Use of Radar Sensors

Today radar technology is found in various systems but most prominently in CW Doppler (a specialized radar that relies on the use of the Doppler effect to measure how fast an object is going at different distances) and FMCW radar sensors (used in measuring a target’s distance). The main difference between the two is that FMCW changes its frequency throughout time depending upon the law of triangle waves. Both of these technologies are used in a lot of different applications – everything from military operations (e.g. missile guidance, medical devices, traffic control) to civilian life.

The Bottom Line

Undoubtedly a radar sensor system has an important role in our world today. If we didn’t have these we wouldn’t be able to predict the weather or use smart technology in our homes. These are just some of the reasons why so many people believe that we’ll see a lot of growth in this technology by the year 2027.