• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.297-304
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• 2010

Since the change in Doppler centroid according to moving targets brings alteration to the phase in azimuth differential signals of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data, one can measure the velocity of the moving targets using this effect. In this study, we will investigate theoretically measuring the velocity of an object from azimuth differential signals by using range compressed data which is the interim outcome of treatment from the simulated SAR raw data of moving targets on the background of sea clutter. Also, it will provide evaluation for the elements that affect the estimation error of velocity from a single SAR sensor. By making RADARSAT-1 simulated image as a specific case, the research includes comparisons for the means of velocity measurement classified by the directions of movement in the four following cases. 1. A case of a single target without currents, 2. A case of a single target with tidal currents of 0.5 m/s, 1 m/s, and 3 m/s, 3. A case of two targets on a same azimuth line moving in a same direction and velocity, 4. A case of a single target contiguous to land where radar backscatter is strong. As a result, when two moving targets exist in SAR image outside the range of approximately 256 pixels, the velocity of the object can be measured with high accuracy. However, when other moving targets exist in the range of approximately 128 pixels or when the target was contiguous to the land of strong backscatter coefficient (NRCS: normalized radar cross section), the estimated velocity was in error by 10% at the maximum. This is because in the process of assuming the target's location, an error occurs due to the differential signals affected by other scatterers.

• Journal of Satellite, Information and Communications
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.12-19
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• 2009

In the modern UAV systems, the role of radar payload has been increasing with its unique performance of day-and-night operation and see-through capability over hidden obstacles. Contrary to the satellite reconnaissance, UAV is expected to provide high resolution target detection and recognition capability while frequent flight missions would deliver enhanced SAR image and local information over the target area. STK(Satellite Tool Kit) is a professional space-analysis software widely used in all phases of a space system's life cycle. The simulation of STK is efficient and accurate relatively. In this paper, the author attempt to model the UAV operation and measure the expected SAR image quality. STK(Satellite Tool Kit) is employed to analyze UAV operation and produce SAR raw data. A SAR simulator is developed to produce high resolution SAR image for various ground targets.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.49-60
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• 2012

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) has been employed in various fields due to its capability to generate high resolution images regardless of weather and visibility. This paper presents a performance analysis on the image formation of high resolution SAR according to various slant range distance and synthetic aperture lengths using a range migration algorithm simulator. Although the visual performance on the SAR image is more accurate, a numeric analysis resulted in a comparable measurement. More specifically, raw data were generated for an ideal point target upon imaging geometries and design parameters such as slant range distance and synthetic aperture lengths. Finally, spatial resolution, peak to sidelobe ratio and integrated sidelobe ratio are drawn to provide SAR capabilities in the initial concept design, final in-flight calibration and validation stages.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Surveying, Geodesy, Photogrammetry and Cartography
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.431-439
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• 2010

Cross-interferometic synthetic aperture radar (CInSAR) technique from ERS-2 and Envisat images is capable of generating submeter-accuracy digital elevation model (DEM). However, it is very difficult to produce high-quality CInSAR-derived DEM due to the difference in the azimuth and range pixel size between ERS-2 and Envisat images as well as the small height ambiguity of CInSAR interferogram. In this study, we have proposed an efficient method to overcome the problems, produced a high-quality DEM over northern Alaska, and compared the CInSAR-derived DEM with the national elevation dataset (NED) DEM from U.S. Geological Survey. In the proposed method, azimuth common band filtering is applied in the radar raw data processing to mitigate the mis-registation due to the difference in the azimuth and range pixel size, and differential SAR interferogram (DInSAR) is used for reducing the unwrapping error occurred by the high fringe rate of CInSAR interferogram. Using the CInSAR DEM, we have identified and corrected man-made artifacts in the NED DEM. The wave number analysis further confirms that the CInSAR DEM has valid Signal in the high frequency of more than 0.08 radians/m (about 40m) while the NED DEM does not. Our results indicate that the CInSAR DEM is superior to the NED DEM in terms of both height precision and ground resolution.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.61 no.5
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• pp.89-99
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• 2019

In this study, we estimated the spatially-distributed soil moisture at the high resolution ($10m{\times}10m$) using the satellite-based Sentinel-1A/B SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) sensor images. The Sentinel-1A/B raw data were pre-processed using the SNAP (Sentinel Application Platform) tool provided from ESA (European Space Agency), and then the pre-processed data were converted to the backscatter coefficients. The regression equations were derived based on the relationships between the TDR (Time Domain Reflectometry)-based soil moisture measurements and the converted backscatter coefficients. The TDR measurements from the 51 RDA (Rural Development Administration) monitoring sites were used to derive the regression equations. Then, the soil moisture values were estimated using the derived regression equations with the input data of Sentinel-1A/B based backscatter coefficients. Overall, the soil moisture estimates showed the linear trends compared to the TDR measurements with the high Pearson's correlations (more than 0.7). The Sentinel-1A/B based soil moisture values matched well with the TDR measurements with various land surface conditions (bare soil, crop, forest, and urban), especially for bare soil (R: 0.885~0.910 and RMSE: 3.162~4.609). However, the Mandae-ri (forest) and Taean-eup (urban) sites showed the negative correlations with the TDR measurements. These uncertainties might be due to limitations of soil surface penetration depths of SAR sensors and complicated land surface conditions (artificial constructions near the TDR site) at urban regions. These results may infer that qualities of Sentinel-1A/B based soil moisture products are dependent on land surface conditions. Although uncertainties exist, the Sentinel-1A/B based high-resolution soil moisture products could be useful in various areas (hydrology, agriculture, drought, flood, wild fire, etc.).

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.221-229
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• 2013

In this paper, the image formation by the motion compensation technique for Synthetic Aperture Radar system(SAR) were realized through the computer simulation. The motion compensation technique performed image data with the range compression, the compensation procedure, the azimuth compensation and the noise elimination procedure. The range compression procedure transform the SAR raw data into the frequency domain and correlate with the range reference function and then inversely transform into the time domain. The compensation procedure contain the aircraft fluctuations compensation and the radar image degrading effect elimination procedure which was caused by image formation algorithm itself. The aircraft fluctuations compensation procedure perform the first stage which correct the phase angle and the second stage which calculate the Doppler frequency and determine the coordinate of the received signal. The radar image degrading effect elimination procedure also perform range migration compensation and the image defocussing effect compensation. The azimuth compression procedure transform the compensation data to the frequency domain and correlate with the azimuth reference function. The azimuth correlated data are inversely transformed to the time domain which is called SAR image data. When the above procedure were completed, the image data contains the received signals mixed with noise. The threshold technique was applied to elimination the noise from the mixed image data.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.227-244
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• 2015

Synthetic Aperture Radar is able to provide images of wide coverage in day, night, and all-weather conditions. Recently, as the SAR image resolution improves up to the sub-meter level, their applications are rapidly expanding accordingly. Especially there is a growing interest in the use of geographic information of high resolution SAR images and the change detection will be one of the most important technique for their applications. In this paper, an automatic threshold tracking and change detection algorithm is proposed applicable to high-resolution SAR images. To detect changes within SAR image, a reference image is generated using log-ratio operator and its amplitude distribution is estimated through K-S test. Assuming SAR image has a non-gaussian amplitude distribution, a generalized thresholding technique is applied using Kittler and Illingworth minimum-error estimation. Also, MoLC parametric estimation method is adopted to improve the algorithm performance on rough ground target. The implemented algorithm is tested and verified on the simulated SAR raw data. Then, it is applied to the spaceborne high-resolution SAR images taken by Cosmo-Skymed and KOMPSAT-5 and the performances are analyzed and compared.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.293-302
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• 2014

Radar systems are used in remote sensing mainly as space-borne, airborne and ground-based Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), scatterometer and Doppler radar. Those systems are composed of expensive equipments and require expertise and professional skills for operation. Because of the limitation in getting experiences of the radar and SAR systems and its operations in ordinary universities and institutions, it is difficult to learn and exercise essential principles of radar hardware which are essential to understand and develop new application fields. To overcome those difficulties, in this paper, we present the construction and experiment of a low-cost educational radar system based on the blueprints of the MIT Cantenna system. The radar system was operated in three modes. Firstly, the velocity of moving cars was measured in Doppler radar mode. Secondly, the range of two moving targets were measured in radar mode with range resolution. Lastly, 2D images were constructed in GB-SAR mode to enhance the azimuth resolution. Additionally, we simulated the SAR raw data to compare Deramp-FFT and ${\omega}-k$ algorithms and to analyze the effect of antenna positional error for SAR focusing. We expect the system can be further developed into a light-weight SAR system onboard a unmanned aerial vehicle by improving the system with higher sampling frequency, I/Q acquisition, and more stable circuit design.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.34 no.6_3
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• pp.1329-1350
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• 2018

There have been many applications to observe Earth using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) since it could acquire Earth observation data without reference to weathers or local times. However researches about digital map generation using SAR have hardly been performed due to complex raw data processing. In this study, we suggested feasibility of producing digital map using SAR stereo images. We collected two sets, which include an ascending and a descending orbit acquisitions respectively, of KOMPSAT-5 stereo dataset. In order to suggest the feasibility of digital map generation from SAR stereo images, we performed 1) rational polynomial coefficient transformation from radar geometry, 2) digital resititution using KOMPSAT-5 stereo images, and 3) validation using digital-map-derived reference points and check points. As the results of two models, root mean squared errors of XY and Z direction were less than 1m for each model. We discussed that KOMPSAT-5 stereo image could generated 1:25,000 digital map which meets a standard of the digital map. The proposed results would contribute to generate and update digital maps for inaccessible areas and wherever weather conditions are unstable such as North Korea or Polar region.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.335-346
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• 2010

Recently, ESA (European Space Agency) has launched CryoSAT-2 for polar ice observations. CryoSAT-2 is equipped with a SIRAL (SAR/interferometric radar altimeter), which is a high spatial resolution radar altimeter. Conventional altimeters cannot measure a precise three-dimensional ground position because of the large footprint diameter, while SIRAL altimeter system accomplishes a precise three-dimensional ground positioning by means of interferometric synthetic aperture radar technique. In this study, we developed an efficient SIRAL SARIn mode processing technique to measure a precise three-dimensional ground position. We first simulated SIRAL SARIn RAW data for the ideal target by assuming the flat Earth and linear flight track, and second accessed the precision of three-dimensional geopositioning achieved by the proposed algorithm. The proposed algorithm consists of 1) azimuth processing that determines the squint angle from Doppler centroid, and 2) range processing that estimates the look angle from interferometric phase. In the ideal case, the precisions of look and squint angles achieved by the proposed algorithm were about -2.0 ${\mu}deg$ and 98.0 ${\mu}deg$, respectively, and the three-dimensional geopositioning accuracy was about 1.23 m, -0.02 m, and -0.30 m in X, Y and Z directions, respectively. This means that the SIRAL SARIn mode processing technique enables to measure the three-dimensional ground position with the precision of several meters.