On the Usage of GRECOSAR, an Orbital Polarimetric SAR Simulator of Complex Targets, to Vessel Classification Studies

• Published in: IEEE transactions on geoscience and remote sensing Vol. 44; no. 12; pp. 3517 - 3526
• Main Authors: Margarit, G., Mallorqui, J.J., Rius, J.M., Sanz-Marcos, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01-12-2006; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE); IEEE-INST ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS INC
• Subjects: Algorithms; Analytical models; Applied geophysics; Classification; Coherent target decompositions (CTD); Computational efficiency; Computational modeling; Computer simulation; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; Image analysis; Internal geophysics; Orbitals; Physical optics; Physical theory of diffraction; polarimetric inverse SAR (POLISAR); polarimetric SAR (POLSAR); Power supplies; SAR image shifts; SAR simulation; Sensors; ship classification; Solid modeling; Studies; Synthetic aperture radar; synthetic aperture radar (SAR); Testing; Vessels; algorithms; models; polarimetric inverse SAR (POLISAR); efficiency; diffraction; high frequency; interferometry; simulation; testing; SAR simulation; ship classification; remote sensing; classification; synthetic aperture radar; navigation; Coherent target decompositions (CTD); synthetic aperture radar (SAR); geometry; polarization; theory; SAR image shifts; polarimetric SAR (POLSAR)
• ISSN: 0196-2892; 1558-0644
• DOI: 10.1109/TGRS.2006.881120

This paper presents a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) simulator that is able to generate polarimetric SAR (POLSAR) and polarimetric inverse SAR data of complex targets. It solves the electromagnetic problem via high-frequency approximations, such as physical optics and the physical theory of diffraction, with notable computational efficiency. In principle, any orbital monostatic sensor working at any band, resolution, and operating mode can be modeled. To make simulations more realistic, the target's bearing and speed are considered, and for the particular case of vessels, even the translational and rotational movements induced by the sea state. All these capabilities make the simulator a powerful tool for supplying large amounts of data with precise scenario information and for testing future sensor configurations. In this paper, the usefulness of the simulator on vessel classification studies is assessed. Several simulated polarimetric images are presented to analyze the potentialities of coherent target decompositions for classifying complex geometries, thus basing an operational algorithm. The limitations highlighted by the results suggest that other approaches, like POLSAR interferometry, should be explored