PC Algorithm using MATLAB-Based Time-Domain Signal Processing forUWB Wall Gap Detectio

Abstract

In this work, a Peak Clustering (PC) algorithm and MATLAB based time-domain signal processing of Ultra-Wideband (UWB) wall gap detection is presented. The primary aim of this work is to develop an improved computational algorithm that can process received UWB signal data and find those peaks that are significant to allow separation distance between wall structures to be estimated. The approach under consideration in this paper is based on the study of received UWB signals to determine the distance of gaps within the wall structure. The received signals are obtained by simulation with a CST Studio Suite simulation model using a UWB antenna for transmitting and receiving. Then the received signal is imported into MATLAB for processing. The proposed algorithm is comprised of noise removal, peak detection and peak clustering to extract reflection patterns of different interfaces in the wall. The time delay between clustered reflections is calculated and applied to calculate the distance between the gap using the time-of-flight principle. The simulation results show that the proposed PC algorithm is effective and can accurately detect the wall gaps ranging from 300 mm to 500 mm. It shows how to properly perform signal processingbased gap detection suitable for security, search and rescue and structural inspection applications.

Keywords: Peak Clustering Algorithm, Time-Domain Signal Processing, MATLAB, Peak Detection, Wall Gap Detection, Ultra-Wideband (UWB)