China's phased array radar has made a major breakthrough and is being used by farmers for wild boar control
Phased array radar in rural applications.
In some rural areas of China, the infestation of wild boars has been a headache for local farmers. Wild boars have strong reproductive ability, great damage to crops and the natural environment, and pose a threat to agriculture and ecosystems. To solve this problem, researchers began experimenting with phased array radar to accurately monitor and manage the population and range of wild boars.
Phased array radar is an advanced radar technology that electronically controls beam direction to enable fast, accurate tracking and positioning of multiple targets. Compared with traditional radars, phased array radars do not require physical antenna movement, greatly improving the flexibility and performance of radars. China has successfully overcome the technical difficulties of gallium nitride materials, reduced the cost of phased array radars, and significantly reduced the cost of its civilian version.
The wild pig control system uses advanced radar technology to monitor and track wild pigs, allowing for more precise control. The system is equipped with an active phased array radar and a drone, which can monitor the location and behavior of moving targets such as wild boars in real time, and automatically identify and classify them. When a wild boar appears, the system automatically sends a signal, and the drone repels it, covering a range of 5 to 10 kilometers and monitoring up to 100 targets at the same time. The entire process is fully automated, reducing manual intervention and avoiding interference with other animals.
This high-tech wild boar control system is not only a major technological advancement, but it is also very simple to install and configure. With only a slight adjustment of the parameters, it is possible to accurately monitor and drive away wild boars. Local farmers are very satisfied with the application of the system, and the problem of wild boar infestation has been effectively solved.
Technical background of phased array radar.
Phased array radar is an advanced radar technology that was first developed in the United States. Compared with traditional radar, its biggest feature is that the direction of the radar beam is electronically controlled, without the need to move the antenna. By precisely adjusting the phase relationship of the antenna transmitted signal, the phased array radar can quickly and accurately aim in different directions, and realize the simultaneous tracking and positioning of multiple targets.
Phased array radars can be divided into two types: passive phased array radars and active phased array radars. Passive phased array radars use a single transmitter to generate a radio signal, which is then distributed to all antenna components in the array to control the direction of the beam. In contrast, each antenna component of an active phased array radar is equipped with its own transmitter and receiver module, allowing for greater flexibility and performance.
The core component of phased array radar is the T r group (transmitter receiver), which accounts for a large proportion of the cost of the overall radar system. The main material of this component is gallium nitride. GaN is a broadband semiconductor material that has better properties than traditional silicon-based semiconductors, such as better thermal conductivity, higher voltage resistance, higher electron mobility, and higher power density. The use of GaN materials in phased array radars can significantly improve radar performance, reduce thermal problems, simplify radar systems, and reduce the need for additional connections and support structures compared to traditional radar systems.
China has carried out technology-oriented research on GaN-based materials in various universities and research institutes, and successfully built the first 8-inch GaN-on-Si production line in 2017. This has caused the ** of China's active phased array radar to drop sharply, and even to a unit price of tens of yuan. The civilian version of the phased array radar has also been widely used in the Chinese market, providing farmers with an effective solution to the problem of wild boar infestation.
In short, China has introduced phased array radar into the civilian field, overcome the technical difficulties of gallium nitride, and successfully applied it to the prevention and control of wild boars in rural areas. This not only reduces the cost of radar and makes high-tech products more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, but also shows the strength and innovation ability of China's science and technology.