Enhanced detection in automotive applications using bistatic radar with cooperative roadside sensors

The state-of-art automotive radar modules normally operate in the monostatic mode and little research has been done on the ability of a vehicle to operate such application when the transmitter is located externally, a setup commonly referred to as bistatic mode. Our proposal here is to combine the communication potential of fifth-generation (5G) new radio (NR) with the merits of bistatic radar to advance the existing automotive radar technology. This application can be envisioned in a smart highway where a vehicle switches to an economic mode, and the longrange radar modules rely on cooperative roadside transmitters (communicating via pre-determined protocols) to locate targets in its vicinity. Computer simulations show that this proposed application can outperform the monostatic equivalent.