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Design of Flat Gain UWB Tapered Slot Antenna for on-body

Concealed Weapons Detections
Ali Atiah and N. Bowring
Electrical Engineering Department, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK

Abstract The detection of human body worn concealed weapons based on the late time
resonance (LTR) method is a considerable challenge. Successful LTR extraction to identify
the target signature and its correct interpretation requires UWB antenna, which can cover the
frequency of the fundamental (lowest) complex natural resonance (CNR) of the target(s) under
detection. A flat gain UWB tapered slot antenna with operating bandwidth of 0.253 GHz to
cover the lowest CNR frequencies was designed and fabricated. Antenna tests made in an anechoic
chamber provide complete back scattering and signal radiation data. The results showed that the
fabricated antenna has relative flat gain from about 0.3 GHz to just over 3 GHz with distortion
less narrow pulse transmission.

1. INTRODUCTION

Standoff detection of on-body concealed weapons is a considerable challenge. Achieving a UWB

antenna that is capable of having non-resonant (flat) gain across all frequencies in the desired band
is a key role for the successful detection of on-body concealed objects, such as guns and knives.
In fact, to achieve an impulse response of on-body concealed weapon(s), the weapon(s) need to
be illuminated in the far field region by a very narrow pulse, equivalent to a UWB frequency
sweep. As the pulse propagates through the concealed objects, omni-directional reflections and
scattering occur at the interfaces [1]. Of particular interest are the aspect independent resonances
and their associated dampening which can be measured by a receiving UWB antenna, the amplitude and phase of such backscatter is aspect dependent relative to the linear polarisation. For
an effective detection system with high resolution and dynamic range, the transmitting/receiving
UWB antenna should be flat gain (non-zeros resonant) as much as possible, have distortion less
pulse transmission, reception and be directive with high-radiation efficiency. Tapered slot antennas
(TSA) have been widely used in different radar applications, especially the Vivaldi antenna that
was first brought out by Gibson in 1979 [2]. These have been recently widely investigated and developed by many researchers and institutions [36]. Several excellent TSAs with improved antenna
parameters involving dual exponentially tapered slot antenna [7], dual elliptically tapered antipodal slot antenna [8], antipodal exponentially tapered slot antenna [9], dual V-type linear taper slot
antenna [10] have been developed and optimized for issuing ultra-wideband (UWB) applications
and millimetre-wave detection systems. Practically, in the frequency range 0.253 GHz, none of the
improved TSAs has non-resonant flat gain around 10 dBi that is required for successful standoff
concealed weapon detection based on late time responses, by covering all of the basic frequencies
of common interested objects. Two specific Vivaldi antennas were studied and investigated in [11].
Regrettably, antenna gain characteristics are not available. The ridged horn antenna [12] shows high
antenna gain with ultra-wide bandwidth, but it does not meet the non-resonant demands needed
to cover the fundamental CNR of the target(s) under detection. Instead, TSA arrays [13] usually
achieve 10-dBi or higher antenna gain covering the frequency of interest. However, compared with
the single tapered slot antenna element, an antenna array is more difficult not only because of its
larger size due to the extra feeding networks but also it is harder to design and fabricate. Most of
the compact UWB antennas presented in the literature exhibit omni-directional radiation patterns
with comparatively low gain and an impulse response with observable distortion [14]. These types
of UWB antennas are convenient for short-range indoor and outdoor communication applications.
However, for radar systems, used for the detection of weapons concealed under clothing, upon the
human body or within carried bags at standoff distance, a flat gain directional antenna and VSWR
around unity is advantageous. This criterion is required to enable effective deconvolution of the antenna response from the received scattered signal, which is essential to enable successful extraction
of CNR modes. Nevertheless, having a less than desirable antenna response, may lead a detection
system to have unauthentic resonances as any antenna resonance could mask concealed on-body

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objects. The bandwidth must be sufficiently wide to cover all of the basic frequencies of the most
common firearms. In this paper, a compact UWB antenna exponentially tapered slot with a bandwidth of the operating frequency 0.25 to 3 GHz is developed. This operating bandwidth chosen
to cover the fundamental CNR modes of most firearms and to give a fine enough time resolution
to resolve these CNR, and to minimize clutter from the human subjects and other objects in the
surveillance area.
2. ANTENNA DESIGN

For the 0.253 GHz with flat gain operation bandwidth a tapered slot antenna TSA was developed
and optimized as successfully used for radar applications. The presented TSA antenna will be used
in concealed on-body weapon detection. The detection system includes identical TSA antennas,
one used to transmit a sharp UWB pulse while the other receives the back scattering signal. The
proposed antenna is fabricated on FR4 epoxy substrate with 0.5-oz copper and dielectric constant
2.33. A top view of designed antenna illustrated in Figure 1.
The design objective is to obtain a UWB antenna with non-zeros resonant frequency as any
antenna resonant can mask the very important aspect independent late time response of objects
concealed on the human body. The exponential taper profile is determined by the opining rate and
two points p1 (x1 , y1 ) and p2 (x2 , y2 ).

where,

y = c1 eRx + c2
y2 y1
c1 = Rx2
eRx1
e
y1 eRx2 y2 eRx1
c2 =
eRx2 eRx1

(1)
(2)
(3)

c1 , c2 are constants and R the opening rate of the exponential taper. Note that (y1 , x1 ) and
(y2 , x2 ) are the coordinates of the origin and end of flare curve, respectively and the taper length
L = x2 x1 . An exponentially tapered slotline rather than an elliptically antipodal tapering
structure was exploited to make the antenna simulation and optimization easier. The width W
of the proposed antenna controls the lowest operation frequency, which is set at 0 : 47, where
is the free space wavelength at 0.25 GHz. The length could affect the front-to-back ratio of the
radiation patterns at the lowest frequency band, which is set at around 0 : 4, . The antenna
is excited with a Gaussian monocycle pulse in the time domain and is optimized and simulated
using the electromagnetic FTD solver CST microwave studio transient solver mode, which helped
to reveal the most critical antenna areas to reduce cavity resonance and to ameliorate their related
transmitted and received amplitudes. The excited monocycle pulse has maximum amplitude at a
frequency 0.75 GHz, which carefully selected to excite basic CNR for most common firearms [15].
3. SIMULATION AND DISCUSSIONS

An optimum antenna design is achieved by the adjustment of the following parameters: flare angle,
cavity radius and throat width to reduce the antenna ringing as much as possible. The ultra

Figure 1: A view of the top of the designed antenna.

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wideband antenna designed according to the mentioned procedure and it is manufactured using
FR4 epoxy (r = 2.33, h = 0.125 cm) as substrate. The taper rate was 0.18 cm and radial stub
angle () = 105 . The radiating microstrip is on the bottom layer of the substrate whereas the
ground plane is printed on the top. The validity of the proposed design methodology is verified
using CST simulator which is based on finite element technology. The antenna is located in the
x-y plane, the E-plane of the antenna is in the x-z plane ( = 0 ) and H-plane is in the y-z plane
( = 90 ). Antenna measurements have been made in an anechoic chamber. The simulated and
measured 10 dB return loss bandwidth extends from 0.25 GHz to 4 GHz covering the required UWB
of 0.25 to 3 GHz. As shown in Figure 2, the simulated results closely resemble the measured result
confirming the design procedure of the antenna.
Both the measured and simulated figures show that the antenna gain of the designed antenna
achieves the requirements of flatness and VSWR outlined earlier, as illustrated in Figure 3.
The far-field radiation patterns of the antenna were again calculated by using CST microwave
studio. These far field results are presented in Figure 5 for the frequencies 0.7 GHz and 1.5 GHz.
The antenna achieves directive properties with an average front-to back ratio which is greater
than 10 dB across the whole band, making it convenient for standoff detection applications. The
time domain performance of the presented antenna was measured also. Two identical co-polarized
antennas were set facing each other across a distance of 50 cm; the measured results are illustrated
in Figure 6. The figure shows that the time pulse of the antenna is 0.7 nanoseconds. The results
show that the optimized antenna provides a distortion less narrow pulse that makes it an excellent
radiator for the application of a detection system with high resolution.

Figure 2: Measured and simulated S11 return loss.

Figure 3: Measured and simulated VSWR.

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(b)

Figure 4: Simulated three-dimensional far field radiation pattern (a) 0.7 GHz and (b) 1.5 GHz.

Figure 5: Measured impulse response.

4. CONCLUSIONS

The design of ultra-wideband tapered slot antenna for use in concealed weapon detection has been
given. Detection of concealed on-body weapons is limited by antenna response as any antenna
ringing could mask very important aspect independent scattering related to the concealed object
signature. An approach is described based on relatively flat gain antenna across the operating
bandwidth. Simulated and measured antenna characteristics illustrate that the developed antenna
has relative flat gain cross-proposed band from 0.25 GHz to more than 3 GHz. The time domain of
the antenna has been studied as well. It has been illustrated that the presented antenna could send
and receive very narrow pulses in a distortion less manner to meet the requirements of successful
concealed weapon detection based on the late time response scattered from the illuminated objects.
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