Non-Contact Vital Sign Detection Using mm-Wave Radar

Vital Sign detection using radars has been a rising technology in the fields of healthcare, security, and military purposes. Typically, radars used for these tasks operate at lower frequencies due to their low cost and and the ability to detect behind obstacles, such as walls or undre debris. However, this leads to an overall large system as the lower the frequency of operation, the larger the size of the antennas. The system size increases when multiple antennas are used for subject localization. But, with the development of millimeter- wave radars and Antenna-on-Package (AoP) solutions, a more compact and portable radar is possible. In this thesis, a commercial, compact, and portable millimeter wave radar operating at 60 GHz is used to detect the vital signs of subjects. With the use of direction of arrival, beamforming, and frequency tracking, the millimeter wave radar is able to accurately detect the heart rate and respiration rate of subjects with high accuracy. Experiments are performed involving detection with varying distances, detection through drywall, and for a single or even multiple subjects.