News Archive

Our December student of the month, Tony R. Segales, is a PhD student in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.  Tony is advised by Prof. Phil Chilson.

"My research centers around developing small unmanned aircraft systems for adaptive atmospheric sampling which utilizes CAD modeling, system optimization, hardware and software integration, and control theory. I am leading the design of the CopterSonde series of vehicles, which focus on the collection of precise weather data at high temporal and spatial resolutions. I also advise other projects in which sensor integration or new UAS are required, such as SENSR."

"I like to spend my free time flying my own RC helicopter and FPV drones at the airfield. I also enjoy playing tennis, watching Formula 1 races, and doing outdoor activities."

On November 30, 2020, the ARRC hosted a virtual ceremony congratulating Arturo Umeyama as the 2020 WNI Scholarship Recipient. Executive Director Bob Palmer gave remarks, along with Dean Berrien Moore and Weathernews Inc. CEO Chihito Kusabiraki.

The $5000 award, established in 2017 to enhance advanced research and development of radar technology, is presented annually to an outstanding ARRC student studying weather radar, observations of the atmosphere, data analysis, and implementation.

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"To get more students excited about engineering careers in RF and help them better understand Electromagnetics (EM) principles, Assistant Professor Jay McDaniel worked with Tektronix to devise a 10-workstation lab for experiential learning opportunities in OU’s EM courses.

Tektronix’s cost-effective USB instrumentation like the TTR500 series vector network analyzer and RSA306B series spectrum analyzer helped OU make a budget conscious purchase that would attract more students to the program and better prepare those students for jobs after they graduate."

Visit the Tektronix website here to read more and view a PDF of the case study.

"After a debilitating motorcycle accident, a top radar researcher defied the odds with help from family and colleagues on two OU campuses."  Anne Barajas Harp of Sooner Magazine has written a story on faculty member Caleb Fulton's motorcycle accident last fall, and his amazing recovery.  Please read more here

Congratulations to ECE/ARRC undergraduate researcher Nicole Palmer for being awarded an Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) grant from the University of Oklahoma's Honors College. Students must choose a faculty mentor and submit a budget and a one-page proposal on a research project that they will conduct and present at the Honors College's Undergraduate Research Day. Nicole's proposal was around the idea of using an automotive radar module, a 2D mechanical actuator system, and a custom timing and control design to generate synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images of a target scene. This measurement setup can be used as a SAR demonstrator during tours of the Radar Innovations Lab (RIL) to help guests visualize complex radar concepts. Her concept was fully funded for $986.53 to purchase the radar and data conversion module needed for the experiment. Nicole is an undergraduate research assistant under Dr. Jay McDaniel, who will serve as the faculty mentor for this UROP. Congratulations, Nicole, on this outstanding accomplishment!

A $7.4 million grant awarded from the United States Office of Naval Research to the University of Oklahoma will fund the development of a scanner and innovative digital radar solutions to support research, prototyping and testing of advanced digital radar concepts for the Navy and the U.S. Department of Defense. The project will also make OU home to the largest university-based scanner for near-field measurements in the nation.

Mark Yeary, project lead and Presidential Professor in the Gallogly College of Engineering, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, said the near-field scanner is “an indoor antenna measurement system that is used to conduct high-accuracy antenna characterizations” and provides essential support for radar before being deployed in the field, including “reduced detection times and improved targeting precision.”

“We want to change how to think about and use radar, and we want to do that by creating the most flexible and advanced digital radar systems here at the University of Oklahoma,” he added.

Yeary said the overarching goal is to build a state-of-the-art measurement system and to host its supporting experiments to enhance the nation’s security and train the next generation of students.

“This project builds on the research team’s years of expertise developing the world’s most advanced weather radar and applies OU research expertise to make an impact for aerospace and defense critical issues,” said Tomás Díaz de la Rubia, OU vice president for research and partnerships.

The three-year project will create the largest near-field scanner in the nation at a university, to be housed at OU’s Advanced Radar Research Center. The face of the scanner will be 20 feet by 20 feet and will enable OU to characterize its large mobile phased array radar systems, which are currently under development, prior to participation in joint experiments with the U.S. Department of Defense.

“It is an absolute delight to see this strong team land such a major award from the Navy,” said Bob Palmer, ARRC executive director and an associate vice president for research and partnerships. “The capabilities this funding will enable will put OU and ARRC at the top nationally with helping the Navy study the advantages of digital phased array radars.”

November's student of the month, Cesar M. Salazar Aquino, is a Ph.D. student in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.  Currently advised by Robert Palmer and Boonleng Cheong, Cesar's research focuses on blind range mitigation technique for solid state weather radars, and PAR analysis and waveform design for improved co-pol and cross-pol performance.  Asked about how he spends his free time, Cesar said, "I like to read, play video games, and watch TV.  Big fan of tech and tech-related content.

Click here to view the virtual tour of the Radar Innovations Lab.

Join scientists from the Radar Innovations Lab as they take you on a behind-the-scenes look at radar research!  Learn about next-generation radar technology, mobile radars, and severe weather!

You can also click here to view the Q&A that took place afterwards on our Facebook page.

Congratulations to Justin Metcalf for being elected to the IEEE AES Society’s Radar Systems Panel (RSP). This is the panel that makes IEEE award nominations, selects radar conference venues and oversees conference operations, contributes to radar-related IEEE standards, and promotes radar education initiatives. Selection to the panel shows recognition from the IEEE radar community for sustained contributions and support of IEEE radar activities.

Dr. Metcalf joins Dr. Yeary and Dr. Goodman on the panel of approximately 45-50 members from industry, government, and academia. Furthermore, one of our former ARRC engineers, Dr. Faruk Uysal, was also selected.