Miles Jamison 
- THz sensors will operate at frequencies up to 100 times higher than conventional systems
- Riverside Research’s proposal was selected through DARPA’s ERIS Marketplace
- Potomac Officers Club’s 2027 Defense R&D Summit will tackle AI and autonomy
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has selected Riverside Research and Oklahoma State University to develop a radar sensor designed to detect and track objects smaller than an inch. Riverside Research said Thursday that the research team’s video proposal was selected through DARPA’s Expedited Research Implementation Series Marketplace.
New research initiatives are pushing the boundaries of sensing technology and its potential military applications. At the Potomac Officers Club’s 2027 Defense R&D Summit on Feb. 4, government and industry leaders will discuss defense R&D investments, emerging technologies and the future of warfare. Save your seat today.
How Will the Terahertz Radar Work?
The planned sensor will use terahertz radar, which operates at frequencies 10 to 100 times higher than those of conventional systems. Its wavelengths of about 3 millimeters or less should allow the radar to distinguish small targets at long distances.
John O’Hara, co-principal investigator and associate professor at OSU, said the approach addresses a physical limitation of microwave radar, whose lower frequencies restrict its ability to resolve small objects at a distance.
What Is the Goal of the DARPA Research?
Principal investigator Rajind Mendis, a senior research scientist at Riverside Research, said the team aims to develop a terahertz radar that meets size, weight and power constraints for field use. The project builds on earlier joint research between Riverside Research and OSU on prototype terahertz systems.
Josh Wetherington, Riverside Research’s director of spectrum warfare innovation and program manager, said the technology could eventually be incorporated into control systems for situational awareness. He cited vehicle features such as lane assistance and pedestrian detection as examples of the kind of role such technology could play.
Riverside Research, which recently named Tom Lash president and CEO, opened an office in the University of Illinois Research Park to support research in radar systems and other technologies.
