Build a Small Radar System: Sensing Range, Doppler, and Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging
MIT Lincoln Laboratory's hands-on course teaches students to design, build, and test a laptop-based radar sensor over five sessions and three weeks. Working in teams of three, students receive a physical radar kit and progress from radar fundamentals to Doppler measurement, range detection, and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging. Weekly field experiments include measuring the speed of passing cars and plotting the range of moving targets. The course culminates in a SAR imaging contest, where teams form an image of a target scene chosen from around campus, judged on detail and creativity. No radar engineering background is required, though interest in electronics, amateur radio, physics, or electromagnetics helps, and familiarity with MATLAB is recommended. Materials include course notes and lab assignments from MIT OpenCourseWare, offered free with no certificate. The course was sponsored by the Department of the Air Force.