Optically Transparent Meta-Grating Embedded in Rear Windshields for Automotive Radar Detection

Abstract

Radar plays a crucial role in automotive safety by enabling reliable object detection, thereby assisting drivers and, prospectively, serving as one of the primary sensors in autonomous driving. The radar visibility of a road participant depends on its radar cross-section (RCS). While RCS is an inherent property, enhancing it, similar to using reflective vests for optical visibility, can significantly improve radar detection through cooperative target design. However, modern vehicles are not designed for this purpose, and embedded reflectors are not utilized due to the industry's conservative approach and the limited space available on the vehicle's exterior. Rear windshields offer a vast unused area, but they must still serve their primary function and remain transparent. We propose utilizing this area by embedding a reflecting surface that accounts for the interrogation scenario geometry and the angular tilt of the rear windshield, ensuring the wave is retroreflected back to the radar. The surface is realized as an array of thin conductive wires with a periodicity that provides in-phase excitation for the design incidence angle. Given that automotive radars operate in the millimeter-wave regime (77-81 GHz), large-scale surfaces with sub-millimeter manufacturing accuracy are required. This is achieved by imprinting conductive inks, composed of silver nanoparticles and binders, into grooves in the glass. The fabricated 10x10 sq. sm. sample, with around 90% optical transparency, demonstrates an RCS of 8 sq. m., surpassing the typical RCS of a car. Extrapolating this performance to the entire rear window with an embedded meta grating, a typical RCS of 1000 sq. m. can be achieved, thereby enhancing the detectability range by nearly an order of magnitude. Smart windows enable advanced applications in wireless communication, such as automotive scenarios, IoT, and many others.