Development and field testing of a UAS-based-software-defined radar for measuring freshwater bathymetry
We provide an overview of an uncrewed aircraft system (UAS)-based software-defined radar (SDRadar) system for high-resolution geophysical observations. The radar transceiver is implemented on a Radio Frequency System-on-Chip (RFSoC) platform, along with an ultra-wideband Vivaldi antenna that has a starting operating frequency of 150 MHz, enabling the system to be used across different applications, including measurements of freshwater bathymetry. In addition to system design and subsystem performance assessments, this paper presents the results of field testing conducted along the Sacramento River near Glenn, California, USA. The radar-derived river depth measurements are compared with ground truth data collected from a crewed boat using an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP). The results show good agreement, with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.079 m.
Citation Information
| Publication Year | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Title | Development and field testing of a UAS-based-software-defined radar for measuring freshwater bathymetry |
| DOI | 10.1109/TAP.2025.3642394 |
| Authors | Sepehr Eskandari, Asem Melebari, Paul J. Kinzel, Robert Russell Lotspeich, Jack R. Eggleston, Mahta Moghaddam |
| Publication Type | Article |
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Series Title | IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation |
| Index ID | 70273465 |
| Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
| USGS Organization | WMA - Observing Systems Division |