Doppler Radar (Microwave)

Microwave & Radar Technology

Doppler Radar (Microwave)

INDEX

01Microwave and Sensing
02Value of Doppler Radar
03Optex’s Unique Strengths and Applications

Microwave and Sensing

Microwaves are a high-frequency range of electromagnetic waves with wavelengths of 1 m to 1 mm (300 MHz to 300 GHz) and are used in a wide range of applications, from communications and radar detection to microwave ovens. Unlike infrared and visible light, microwaves are less susceptible to temperature changes and sunlight intensity and are highly resistant to weather conditions such as rain, fog, and snow, providing excellent stability as a sensing technology. They are well suited for detection outdoors and in harsh environments.

Value of Doppler Radar

Doppler microwave sensors transmit radio waves from an antenna and detect changes in frequency (the Doppler effect) when the waves are reflected by a target.

Specialized for Moving Object Detection: Detects movement from changes in the frequency of reflected waves caused by the Doppler effect
Highly Resistant to Interference: Unaffected by sunlight, temperature changes, fog, smoke, or sound

It demonstrates its strengths in harsh environments where optical methods face challenges and is used in a wide range of applications.

Optex’s Unique Strengths and Applications

Intrusion Detection (Security)

By combining two sensing technologies that detect different physical phenomena—infrared detection technology (PIR) and microwave (Doppler) detection technology—Optex enhances detection performance and provides sensors that withstand harsh outdoor conditions such as rain, wind, snow, and fog. In addition, area tuning allows the detection range to be adjusted for each site to suppress unnecessary responses while providing high reliability.

Automatic Doors and Touchless Switches

This technology is used in touchless switches that operate reliably even in freezer warehouses and in switches with high waterproof performance. Because they respond reliably even through gloves, these switches are widely used in facilities requiring hygiene control and cold resistance and can be used not only in automatic doors but for all types of switches.

Expert Interview

Fumikatsu Sone

DepartmentSecurity Business Div. Engineering & Development Dept.

The Essence of Microwave Sensing Is Its Resistance to Complex Environments

Because microwave performance is not affected by temperature changes, solar radiation, or changes in brightness, it is highly effective for eliminating these influencing factors in outdoor applications.While leveraging these characteristics, Optex has carefully analyzed and learned the causes of environmental interference at actual sites and optimized its signal processing algorithms and optical design (antenna design).
In particular, Optex’s area-setting technology is unique in its ability to improve detection accuracy while eliminating noise caused by real-world conditions such as rain, fog, snow, and the movement of vegetation. Another strength that competitors cannot easily replicate is Optex’s comprehensive capability to combine microwave sensing with Active InfraRed (AIR) technology to achieve well-balanced detection of both moving and stationary objects.

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OTHER
TECHNOLOGIES

Passive-Infrared

Far infrared is a passive sensing technology that detects thermal energy emitted by people and objects.Non-contact, low-power, and effective in dark environments, it serves as a core human detection technology developed through our experience with automatic doors and outdoor security.
Active-Infrared

Near infrared is an active sensing technology that uses LED illumination to detect changes in reflected or blocked light.This technology allows for precise detection area control and is widely used for stable detection in applications such as automatic doors, active infrared (AIR) security systems, and water quality measurement.
Infrared Laser

LiDAR is an optical ranging technology that uses laser time-of-flight (ToF) measurement to determine the distance to and shape of a target with high accuracy.It is applied to precision spatial sensing in applications such as outdoor intrusion detection and critical facility monitoring, including REDSCAN.
FMCW Radar (Microwave/Millimeter Wave)

FMCW is a radar ranging method that analyzes the distance to and speed of a target from the beat frequency between a frequency-modulated continuous wave and its reflected wave.
MIMO Radar (Microwave/Millimeter Wave)

MIMO radar uses multiple transmitting and receiving antennas to form a virtual array, improving angular resolution and direction estimation. Highly resistant to adverse weather and darkness, it can be used for long-range detection in applications such as outdoor security, vehicle detection, and critical facility monitoring.
Water Quality and Hygiene Applications

Optical water quality sensors use multiple wavelengths of light, including near-infrared, infrared, and UV, to detect changes in turbidity, color, scattering, and absorbance. They can be used for water quality management, including continuous monitoring of drinking water, wastewater, and industrial effluent.
Image Recognition Technology

This sensing technology uses camera images to perform tasks such as object detection and classification, pose estimation, and people tracking. It is used for security, people counting, access control, and other applications, providing advanced situational awareness by detecting the movements of people and objects.
Vibration Detection Technology

Vibration detection sensors measure vibration to detect intrusion, impacts, and equipment abnormalities. Optex uses this technology to improve the reliability of outdoor security and equipment monitoring.