ETU “LETI”: Yo-ho-ho and Satellite Signals: ETU “LETI” Scientists Figured out How to Prevent Accidents and Smuggling at Sea

Vessel traffic in the river and marine waters is growing, which causes the issue of control and safety of navigation. Ship collisions often result in loss of life, ship damage and costly repairs, and cause irreparable damage to the environment through oil spills. The use of ships in illegal activities, such as smuggling and sabotage, also poses a threat.

One of the main tools for ship movement monitoring is the Automatic Identification System (AIS). It provides information on the ship’s dimensions, course, and other parameters via radio channels. Besides, navigation radar systems are used for the surveillance of coastlines, ice, and other objects on the sea surface. However, they are installed mainly on large vessels.

Evgeny Vorobyov, a young scientist from ETU “LETI,” researcher of Prognoz Research Institute, suggested an effective way to detect “intruders” of water traffic. The ground-based system passive radar monitoring of vessel movements, using signals from third-party satellite-based sources (satnav systems GPS and GLONASS), will provide a radar observation virtually at any spot of the marine areas.

“The system is more economically attractive and competitive. For port cities, such a system is especially relevant, as it allows to monitor ship movement with high-rise buildings around and active development of traffic arteries. It causes no interfering with other radio equipment and doesn’t violate the sanitary standards, which is an advantage compared to active radars”.

Evgeny Vorobyov, a researcher of Prognoz Research Institute
According to the developer, in Russia, there are no commercially available systems for passive radar control of ship traffic, working on reflected signals of satellite-based transmitters. The methods and principles of their creation require additional research, taking into account the specifics of signal processing of satellite radio systems.

The study will employ the developments of ETU “LETI” researchers in passive bistatic radars. A research team of the Prognoz Research Institute, together with members of the Faculty of Radio Engineering, developed such a radar, which uses signals of digital terrestrial television. One of the receivers is located on the roof of building 5 of the university. Evgeny will apply his experience in processing reflected signals of digital TV broadcasting to the development of a new system by adapting the algorithms to satellite signals.