When to Use Radar Sensors for Vehicle Detection

Radar sensors use Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radar to reliably detect moving or stationary targets, including cars, trains, trucks and cargo in extreme weather conditions.

Radar sensors use Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radar to reliably detect moving or stationary targets, including cars, trains, trucks and cargo in extreme weather conditions.

Unlike photoelectric or ultrasonic sensors, radar sensors are not affected by conditions such as wind, rain, fog, light, humidity and air temperature. This results in accurate detection in outdoor environments.

For example, trains create difficult environments for mechanical and technical equipment to operate properly. Passing trains create excess wind, dirt, debris, and potential for impact.  A radar sensor can reliably detect the presence of trains even in harsh conditions.  Similarly, a radar sensor can also be used to reliably detect the presence of large trucks at an outdoor loading dock even in extreme weather conditions. 

For train detection applications, a radar sensor offers many advantages including flexible mounting.  Because a radar sensor does not need to be mounted on the train track, installation and maintenance are safer and easier compared to other sensing technologies.  In addition, since radar sensors are not mounted on the tracks, the devices are at a lower risk of damage due to high impact. 

It can be challenging for radar sensors to detect smaller targets as well as vehicles with little separation between them (such as in bumper-to-bumper traffic).   For this reason, a common application of radar sensors is to detect train cars, which are both large and predictable.