Microwave Imaging of Electrical Wires with MUSIC Algorithm

Microwave imaging of electrical wires with multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm is considered. The motivation arises from safety/security applications where concealed electrical wires are required to be remotely sensed in a quasi-real-time setting. The algorithm is first reanalyzed in terms of scattering parameters to better incorporate experimental microwave measurements. Later, a simple strategy, where the spectral cutoff is selected based on the expected signal-to-noise level, is introduced to enhance imaging capabilities. The reformulated algorithm is experimentally verified with limited aperture measurements performed with an antenna array in a nonanechoic environment. The results demonstrate that the algorithm can rapidly reconstruct images that clearly reveal geometrical features of electrical wires.