Chinese radar breakthrough will see commercial drones soar in power and applications, says Shenzhen team

Name: China’s world-first drone-carrier capable of operating on its own
Uploaded: 2022-06-23T16:00:18.000Z
Duration: 1 min 47 s
Description: China’s world-first drone-carrier capable of operating on its own

When the team raised the idea of new microwave radar technology, known as 1-bit SAR, about eight years ago, some experts thought it would never work

Lead scientist of the project deems it ‘a disruptive technology’; it can be applied to intelligent driving, logistics and emergency rescue and disaster relief

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In a test flight on Friday, the Shenzhen research team turned an ordinary drone into a ‘predator’. They say that for the first time, even a consumer drone could use a powerful, high-definition microwave radar. Photo: Weibo

Zhang Tong

Published: 12:00am, 24 Jun 2022Updated: 1:43am, 24 Jun 2022

A breakthrough in radar technology allowed a commercial drone to capture high-definition images previously only achieved by military drones, according to the Shenzhen research team behind the development.

The researchers put a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) on a commercial drone and captured high-definition images in a test flight.

In the past, such a powerful radar system was only available for military drones, such as the Predator or Global Hawk, because the technology was big, sophisticated and consumed a huge amount of power.

The developers say their breakthrough could allow Chinese drones a new edge in the global market. Photo: Weibo

Professor Huang Lei, lead scientist of the project with Shenzhen University, called the team’s new gadget “a disruptive technology”.

Besides drones, “it can be popularised and applied to other fields, such as intelligent driving, smart logistics, smart cities, emergency rescue and disaster relief to better serve the national economy and people’s livelihood”, he was quoted as saying in a report by Shenzhen Evening News on Monday.

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China’s world-first drone-carrier capable of operating on its own

Most civilian drones use optical cameras or laser sensors and are capable of only flying on a clear day with good visibility.

Military drones equipped with microwave radar can see at night, operating in nearly all weather, including smoke, rain, fog and haze.

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