Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PETRA (PETRA - Photonic Environment moniToring Risk Assessment)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2015-02-01 do 2016-07-31
The goal of PETRA (Photonic Environment moniToring& Risk Assessment) was the design and the IPR transfer of a radically new photonics-based dual frequency interferometric radar for the remote monitoring of landslides and the geotechnical risk assessment. The flexibility of photonics allows dynamically changing the operative frequency of the radar to adapt the system resolution to the soil movement velocity, and to overcome the atmospheric distortions, thus increasing the accuracy of the monitoring system and ensuring reliable early risk detection.
Previously, photonics-based multiband radars have been demonstrated where photonics is exploited for multiple RF signal generation and detection by means of a single optical local oscillator that replaces the conventional cascades of electrical local oscillators. The ultra-wide band and high stability of photonics and the use of a single local oscillator assure very low system phase noise and phase coherence among the RF signals. In PETRA, this phase coherence among multi-band signals is exploited to perform differential phase estimation in enhanced sub-millimeter displacement measures. After a careful analysis of the state of the art, both at market and research level, the design of the PETRA system has been successfully carried out with the support of simulated and experimental activities. A prototype has been implemented that employs stepped frequency continuous waves simultaneously in the S- and X-band, measuring the differential phase. The high coherence among the two frequency bands, provided by the photonic architecture, enabled very precise displacements measures, allowing to obtain sub-millimeter precision without using correction algorithms. In the project we demonstrated a precision < 200m. Moreover, the sharing of the same hardware to handle a multi-band operation allowed a great reduction of size, weight, power (SWaP) of the overall system.
The prototype has been implemented by using commercial bulk components, while the design also took into account preliminary technological issues for realizing the photonic system on chip enabling a further SWaP.
In order to optimize the PETRA design, technical discussions have been organized with IDS company (Italy) that developed a the same kind of biband radar system based on conventional technologies and that represented the reference for the PETRA development.
The project results and the system design has been disseminated to several industries on the market through specific meetings with the companies of interest, seminars and through laboratory demonstrations. The main interactions have been taken with the following companies worldwide leaders in the radar systems, subsystems and components markets: Finmeccanica (Italy), IDS (Italy), BEM Elettronica (Italy), Elettronica (Italy), IMRA (USA), Sitael (Italy), Thales (France). Seminars with the Italian and European Space Agencies and the Institute of Electronics Chinese Academy of Scences (IECAS), in Beijing have been also organized. Moreover 3 and 8 publications on scientific Journals and International conferences have been presented respectively.
The interactions with the industry has been focused on the transfer of the IPR for future industrial exploitation.
Within PETRA two patents have been filled with ERICSSON (Sweden-Italy) on PETRA subsystems.
A third patent have been filled with Elettonica (Italy), on a topic risen by the background acquired in PETRA.
This patent originated a formal industtial collaboration with Elettronica that is still ongoing.
The PETRA results also inspired the ongoing design and fabrication of integrated photonic component as optical filters and photonic-based up- and down conversion in collaboration with the Integrated Photonic Center of Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, that is member of CNIT.
As a consequence, a formal collaboration with Finmeccanica (Italy) has been started for developing the PETRA subsystems on chip.
Moreover a collaboration with an other research group in Brazil as been set up for introducing in the PETRA system optically controlled antennas able to tune the bandwidth. This bandwidth flexibility will allow to further increase the resolution and the robustness of the system.
PETRA results are in the direction to overcome few important issues in the in the field of soil movement detection: the lack of a system realizing a continuous monitoring to ensure a reliable early risk detection, that means the lack of an interferometric radar capable of working with flexible carrier frequency depending on the expected target velocity; the weather dependence of the results from radar analyses; the lack of an embedded HW/SW platform allowing in-situ processing of the information.
The dual frequency interferometric radar developed within PETRA, exploits a high RF frequency to monitor the target with very accurate resolution, while it selects a lower RF frequency if the observation area is moving so quickly as to induce phase ambiguity in the measurements.
It will allow to better characterize the atmospheric effects which can then be compensated for, inducing an improvement in the radar accuracy through the use of new multiple-parameter analysis. Moreover, PETRA will enable the development of a software suite for compiling risk maps which can be more accurate and detailed than nowadays, employing advanced algorithms for data processing, searching for particular time/space patterns and fingerprints of relevant phenomena. Finally, the advanced photonics features of the PETRA system, such as the broad bandwidth and the multiple frequency capability, could be considered for other fields of usage, such as meteorological and civil engineering applications.
The global radar market is constituted by several strongly specialized niches, with a total annual market in the order of 2 billion Euro. In particular, the market of interferometric radars, as the PETRA system, is focused on slope monitoring applications, with total annual revenues around 30-35 M€ and increasing year after year. The development of radar systems with improved precision will strengthen the position of the companies producing interferometric radars, most of which are based in Europe. Moreover, the flexibility enabled by the photonics-based architecture of PETRA could be adopted also by other high-performing radar niches, which constitute a significant part of the entire radar market.
PETRA impacts will also be at a societal level. The most relevant and frequent damages caused by natural disasters worldwide depends on processes affecting the slope stability and the soil erosion. In Europe a database of economic and societal costs and possible risk areas related to natural hazards is still missing, but these phenomena are frequent and widespread. As an example, the Italian Civil Protection Department has recently revealed that 82% of Italian districts present high hydro-geological risks, and 6 million inhabitants are exposed to harm. Moreover, 58% of Italian industries are located in dangerous areas. In Italy alone, hydro-geological calamities caused 3.994 deaths from 1963 to 2012 and a total cost of 61.5 billion Euros from 1944 to 2012. To minimize the economic and societal risks several projects have been funded, including DORIS that has merged information from several different platforms to realize risk maps. In this context, PETRA technologies will provide early warnings suitable for dangerous phenomena triggered by slope and ground deformation processes, also involving structures and infrastructures. The use of photonics will provide a relevant innovation to the landscape analysis and hazard assessment for emergency planning and land use sustainability, and will impact positively on the reduction of the risk posed in terms of human and financial losses to the European population. Another viewpoint is the loss of market share for European companies resulting from interruption to production in industrial facilities as a consequence of natural disasters. By mitigating hazard effects, PETRA will protect the competitiveness of European industry within the world market. Finally, the approach of PETRA is also potentially expandable to issues not directly investigated in the foreseen application.
Previously, photonics-based multiband radars have been demonstrated where photonics is exploited for multiple RF signal generation and detection by means of a single optical local oscillator that replaces the conventional cascades of electrical local oscillators. The ultra-wide band and high stability of photonics and the use of a single local oscillator assure very low system phase noise and phase coherence among the RF signals. In PETRA, this phase coherence among multi-band signals is exploited to perform differential phase estimation in enhanced sub-millimeter displacement measures. After a careful analysis of the state of the art, both at market and research level, the design of the PETRA system has been successfully carried out with the support of simulated and experimental activities. A prototype has been implemented that employs stepped frequency continuous waves simultaneously in the S- and X-band, measuring the differential phase. The high coherence among the two frequency bands, provided by the photonic architecture, enabled very precise displacements measures, allowing to obtain sub-millimeter precision without using correction algorithms. In the project we demonstrated a precision < 200m. Moreover, the sharing of the same hardware to handle a multi-band operation allowed a great reduction of size, weight, power (SWaP) of the overall system.
The prototype has been implemented by using commercial bulk components, while the design also took into account preliminary technological issues for realizing the photonic system on chip enabling a further SWaP.
In order to optimize the PETRA design, technical discussions have been organized with IDS company (Italy) that developed a the same kind of biband radar system based on conventional technologies and that represented the reference for the PETRA development.
The project results and the system design has been disseminated to several industries on the market through specific meetings with the companies of interest, seminars and through laboratory demonstrations. The main interactions have been taken with the following companies worldwide leaders in the radar systems, subsystems and components markets: Finmeccanica (Italy), IDS (Italy), BEM Elettronica (Italy), Elettronica (Italy), IMRA (USA), Sitael (Italy), Thales (France). Seminars with the Italian and European Space Agencies and the Institute of Electronics Chinese Academy of Scences (IECAS), in Beijing have been also organized. Moreover 3 and 8 publications on scientific Journals and International conferences have been presented respectively.
The interactions with the industry has been focused on the transfer of the IPR for future industrial exploitation.
Within PETRA two patents have been filled with ERICSSON (Sweden-Italy) on PETRA subsystems.
A third patent have been filled with Elettonica (Italy), on a topic risen by the background acquired in PETRA.
This patent originated a formal industtial collaboration with Elettronica that is still ongoing.
The PETRA results also inspired the ongoing design and fabrication of integrated photonic component as optical filters and photonic-based up- and down conversion in collaboration with the Integrated Photonic Center of Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, that is member of CNIT.
As a consequence, a formal collaboration with Finmeccanica (Italy) has been started for developing the PETRA subsystems on chip.
Moreover a collaboration with an other research group in Brazil as been set up for introducing in the PETRA system optically controlled antennas able to tune the bandwidth. This bandwidth flexibility will allow to further increase the resolution and the robustness of the system.
PETRA results are in the direction to overcome few important issues in the in the field of soil movement detection: the lack of a system realizing a continuous monitoring to ensure a reliable early risk detection, that means the lack of an interferometric radar capable of working with flexible carrier frequency depending on the expected target velocity; the weather dependence of the results from radar analyses; the lack of an embedded HW/SW platform allowing in-situ processing of the information.
The dual frequency interferometric radar developed within PETRA, exploits a high RF frequency to monitor the target with very accurate resolution, while it selects a lower RF frequency if the observation area is moving so quickly as to induce phase ambiguity in the measurements.
It will allow to better characterize the atmospheric effects which can then be compensated for, inducing an improvement in the radar accuracy through the use of new multiple-parameter analysis. Moreover, PETRA will enable the development of a software suite for compiling risk maps which can be more accurate and detailed than nowadays, employing advanced algorithms for data processing, searching for particular time/space patterns and fingerprints of relevant phenomena. Finally, the advanced photonics features of the PETRA system, such as the broad bandwidth and the multiple frequency capability, could be considered for other fields of usage, such as meteorological and civil engineering applications.
The global radar market is constituted by several strongly specialized niches, with a total annual market in the order of 2 billion Euro. In particular, the market of interferometric radars, as the PETRA system, is focused on slope monitoring applications, with total annual revenues around 30-35 M€ and increasing year after year. The development of radar systems with improved precision will strengthen the position of the companies producing interferometric radars, most of which are based in Europe. Moreover, the flexibility enabled by the photonics-based architecture of PETRA could be adopted also by other high-performing radar niches, which constitute a significant part of the entire radar market.
PETRA impacts will also be at a societal level. The most relevant and frequent damages caused by natural disasters worldwide depends on processes affecting the slope stability and the soil erosion. In Europe a database of economic and societal costs and possible risk areas related to natural hazards is still missing, but these phenomena are frequent and widespread. As an example, the Italian Civil Protection Department has recently revealed that 82% of Italian districts present high hydro-geological risks, and 6 million inhabitants are exposed to harm. Moreover, 58% of Italian industries are located in dangerous areas. In Italy alone, hydro-geological calamities caused 3.994 deaths from 1963 to 2012 and a total cost of 61.5 billion Euros from 1944 to 2012. To minimize the economic and societal risks several projects have been funded, including DORIS that has merged information from several different platforms to realize risk maps. In this context, PETRA technologies will provide early warnings suitable for dangerous phenomena triggered by slope and ground deformation processes, also involving structures and infrastructures. The use of photonics will provide a relevant innovation to the landscape analysis and hazard assessment for emergency planning and land use sustainability, and will impact positively on the reduction of the risk posed in terms of human and financial losses to the European population. Another viewpoint is the loss of market share for European companies resulting from interruption to production in industrial facilities as a consequence of natural disasters. By mitigating hazard effects, PETRA will protect the competitiveness of European industry within the world market. Finally, the approach of PETRA is also potentially expandable to issues not directly investigated in the foreseen application.