Vehicle localization using surface penetrating radar

A method for guidance of a vehicle, comprising:

• acquiring from a vehicle surface penetrating radar (SPR) images of a first subsurface region along a vehicle track;
• comparing the SPR images and SPR images previously acquired for a second subsurface region that at least partially overlaps the first subsurface region;
• determining location data for the vehicle based on location data for the SPR images previously acquired for the second subsurface region;
• and
• guiding the vehicle in response to the determined location data.

A vehicle navigation system, comprising:

• a mobile surface penetrating radar (SPR) system configured for attachment to a vehicle and having an array of antenna elements each configured to transmit a radar signal into a first subsurface region and to receive a return radar signal from the first subsurface region;
• a radar processor in communication with the mobile SPR system and configured to generate SPR images of the first subsurface region;
• a registration module in communication with the radar processor and configured to receive SPR images of the first subsurface region, the registration module determining location data for the vehicle based on location data for previously acquired SPR images for a second subsurface region that overlaps at least a portion of the first subsurface region;
• and
• a control module in communication with the registration module and configured to generate one or more control signals to guide the movement of the vehicle in response to the location data.

A method for localization of a vehicle, comprising:

• acquiring, from a first surface penetrating radar (SPR) system fixed in position relative to a vehicle, a first plurality of SPR images of a subsurface region along a vehicle track;
• acquiring, from a second SPR system fixed in position relative to the vehicle, a second plurality of SPR images of at least a portion of the subsurface region along the vehicle track;
• comparing the SPR images from the first SPR system and the SPR images from the second SPR system;
• and
• determining location data for the vehicle based on the comparison of the SPR images.

A system for determining location data for a vehicle, comprising:

• a first mobile surface penetrating radar (SPR) system having an array of antenna elements each configured to transmit a radar signal into a subsurface region and to receive a return radar signal from the subsurface region, the first SPR system configured to be fixed in a first position relative to a vehicle;
• a first radar processor in communication with the first mobile SPR system and configured to generate a SPR image of the subsurface region;
• a second mobile SPR system having an array of antenna elements each configured to transmit a radar signal into the subsurface region and to receive a return radar signal from the subsurface region, the second SPR system configured to be fixed in a second position relative to the vehicle and separated from the first mobile SPR system;
• a second radar processor in communication with the second mobile SPR system and configured to generate a SPR image of the subsurface region;
• and a registration module configured to receive SPR images from the first and second radar processors, the registration module configured to compare the SPR images from the first radar processor and the SPR images from the second radar processor to determine location data for the second mobile SPR system relative to the first mobile SPR system as the vehicle moves along a vehicle track.