Radar lab open for business

The development of a radar-imaging lab on campus will give engineering majors an opportunity to do hands-on research.

The Advanced Radar Imaging and Sensor Integration Laboratory, located in the FedEx Institute of Technology, is one of few such labs in the United States, said Director Tim Tanigawa.

"All the projects we start in the lab we hope to be successful," Tanigawa said.

He and his staff began working on the lab in October, and it officially opened last week on Jan. 12.

The Air Force Research Laboratory donated half a million dollars worth of radar equipment to help testing in the lab.

Current research projects are aimed at developing the movements of humans and vehicles in challenging environments with a lot of noise.

The technology being tested can pick up movement behind walls or underground. This type of machinery will be beneficial to firemen and policemen who need to tell if there is activity occurring in a building or on another side of the wall.

Students majoring in engineering are encouraged to use the lab to gain hands-on experience or submit ideas that can be tested. Tanigawa said companies will also use the lab to do radar testing.

Lara Booth, a White Station High School student, is learning about the machines in the lab while assisting with research.

"Seeing the radar imagery is interesting to me because some things are reflective and some things are transparent. It's really cool to be able to see the signals we pick up; it's like I can see through walls," Booth said.

Tanigawa and his staff hope The University will provide a course that teaches radar imagery.

"Offering a course about radar imagery would be great. It will teach the students about how to use radar imagery and help students come up with ideas to possibly test in the lab," said Orges Furxhi, postdoctoral fellow in electrical engineering.