Direction estimation and tracking of rapidly moving RF emitters

Abstract

Accurately localizing dynamic targets in complex and rapidly changing environments, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), mobile platforms, or unstable moving objects-poses significant challenges in both civilian and military applications. This paper proposes an approach that integrates software-defined radio (SDR) technology with circularly polarized microstrip antennas to enhance localization performance under harsh conditions, including weak signals, multipath propagation, and disturbances caused by rapid motion. A simulation model is developed, and experimental analyses are conducted using an improved MUSIC algorithm for direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation, combined with a second-order filtering technique. The results demonstrate a strong correlation between the simulated data and practical measurements, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed method.