Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave Radar-Based Through-Wall Human Detection for Emergency Response


Malik Z., TAYŞİ Z. C., KARSLIGİL M. E.

IEEE Embedded Systems Letters, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Publication Date: 2025
  • Doi Number: 10.1109/les.2025.3619147
  • Journal Name: IEEE Embedded Systems Letters
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Compendex, INSPEC
  • Keywords: frequency modulated continuous wave radar (FMCW), human detection, machine learning, through-wall sensing
  • Yıldız Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Detecting individuals trapped after earthquakes is critical for guiding rescue operations, yet current search methods still face challenges, especially in large-scale emergencies. This work focuses on leveraging a low-cost, lightweight continuous wave radar (CWR) sensor for through-wall human detection, with the goal of enabling fast, scalable deployment in disaster zones. This solution facilitates deployment across different locations, supporting wide-area coverage, parallel search operations, and rapid rescue in time-critical situations. The proposed system uses machine learning models to accurately detect human presence and classify movement types behind walls, including static, low-energy, and high-energy movements. It achieves 97.1% accuracy in presence detection and 84.5% in static vs. movement classification, offering a practical and scalable solution for post-disaster search and rescue.