UAS-based GPR system

This paper presents a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) system based on a drone, or Unmanned Aerial System (UAS). UAS-based GPR systems could represent the future in the field of GPR sensors, since such a platform enables automatized, remote surveys in all kinds of terrain. The prototype illustrated in this work have been developed using a commercial drone and a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) based radar sensor. In order to test the system performances, joint experimental tests have been performed by using the prototype and a conventional GPR. The comparison between results obtained with the two sensors, are promising: the UAS-based prototype successfully detected underground targets. Although the conventional GPR outperforms the UAS-based prototype, the latter offers greater flexibility and versatility on non-regular areas.