A Direction-Of-Arrival approach for the subsurface localization of a dielectric object

In this paper, a technique based on Sub-Array Processing and Direction of Arrival estimation is applied, for the localization of buried cavities and dielectric cylinders. The same approach has been previously employed for the sensing of perfectly-conducting objects, with good results. Here, several scenarios are examined, assuming different permittivity values for both the scatterer and hosting medium. The position and size of the cylinder are also varied. Results for air cavity detection are particularly interesting. The proposed procedure can be useful for near-surface probing applications.

► In this work we focus on the localization of buried dielectric cylinders and cavities. ► We employ a Sub-Array Processing approach and several Direction-Of-Arrival algorithms. ► Different scenarios are studied, varying dielectric contrast, target size and depth. ► The procedure shows a good capability in estimating the obstacle position. ► Results for cavity detection are particularly promising.