A Portable Low-Power Harmonic Radar System and Conformal Tag for Insect Tracking

Harmonic radar systems provide an effective modality for tracking insect behavior. This letter presents a harmonic radar system proposed to track the migration of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). The system offers a unique combination of portability, low power and small tag design. It is comprised of a compact radar unit and a passive RF tag for mounting on the insect. The radar unit transmits a 5.9-6 GHz signal and detects at the 11.8-12 GHz band. A prototype of the radar unit was built and tested, and a new small tag was designed for the application. The new tag offers improved harmonic conversion efficiency and much smaller size as compared to previous harmonic radar systems for tracking insects. Unlike RFID detectors whose sensitivity allows detection up to a few meters, the developed radar can detect a tagged insect up to 58 m (190 ft).