BRIN Develops High Resolution Radar

JAKARTA - The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) is developing radar technology that uses the concept of a radar or SAR aperture to produce high-resolution images of the earth's surface.

"SAR has many advantages compared to remote sensing. In data processing research, several of our researchers were involved," said Head of the BRIN Telecommunications Research Center Nasrullah Armi as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, June 16.

Several examples of commercial satellite SAR image resolutions, including sentinel-1, terrasar-X, COSMO SkyMed, radarsat-2, ALOS-2, IceEye, and Capella.

SAR applications include being used for environmental monitoring, disaster monitoring, security monitoring, topographic mapping, land change monitoring, glasier monitoring, and forestry monitoring.

BRIN Telecommunications Research Center researcher Bambang Setiahadi explained that the SAR sensor uses radio waves, is active (bringing its own energy source), side looking, and information on the intensity of object reflection.

This is different from optical sensors that use light waves, passive (using solar energy), down looking, and spectral information.

BRIN conducted SAR research on the design of radio frequency systems (RFs) for dual polarization, filter designs for RF systems, antenna microstrip designs, BCU designs for dual polarization, design and implementation of digital signal processing (DSP), and ground based SAR experiments in the field.

BRIN Aviation Technology Research Center researcher Farohaji Kurniawan said the development of the SAR system had been carried out on the Black Eagle program through cooperation carried out by LAPAN, BPPT, and LEN Industri.

The Aviation Technology Research Center has started the SAR system research and innovation program from 2020 to 2029. The target of the program is to produce international book outputs, international publications, intellectual property rights, and prototypes of the SAR system.

The next project in antenna design for SAR sensors is to design and design antenna beamsteering and conformal antennas.

According to Farohaji, the development of an independent SAR system is a must because its various capabilities are needed for research, military, disaster mitigation, agriculture, and others.

"Technological control must start from the basis and must be done seriously and with totality," he said.