Abstract: An implement for use with an excavator includes a lightweight housing, a first coupling feature, a ground penetrating radar antenna, a controller, a wireless communication circuit and a rotation unit. The lightweight housing has an upper surface, a lower surface and a cavity. The first coupling feature is located on the upper surface and cooperates with a second coupling feature on an excavator arm. The ground penetrating radar antenna is mounted near the lower surface. The controller is mounted within the cavity and provides outgoing signals to the radar antenna, receives incoming signals from the radar antenna and interprets the incoming signals so as to provide implement output information. The wireless communication circuit is mounted within the cavity and transmits the implement output information. The rotation unit is mounted within the cavity and rotates the housing vis-à-vis the excavator arm.

Abstract: A GPR (ground penetrating radar) system includes a digging machine having a bucket, a GPR unit and a post-processing unit. The GPR unit is mounted on the bucket and includes at least one GPR antenna and a data processor. Both the at least one antenna and the data processor are mounted within the bucket. The data processor detects a presence of a hazard during a progressive removal of layers of soil. The post-processing unit is installed in a cabin of the digging machine and provides an alert when the data processor detects the hazard during the removal of soil.

Abstract: An antenna for a ground-penetration radar system is disclosed. The antenna has a housing that defines a cavity. A radiator is located on a surface of a planar substrate within the cavity and is connected to a transmission line balun formed on the planar substrate. A wear-block is located between the radiator and the opening to the cavity for providing mechanical protection to the radiator. An absorber assembly is located on an opposite side of the radiator from the opening. The absorber assembly comprises a microwave absorber and a first dielectric layer. The first dielectric layer is located between the radiator and the microwave absorber.

Abstract: An antenna for a ground-penetration radar system is disclosed. The antenna has a housing that defines a cavity. A radiator is located on a surface of a planar substrate within the cavity. A wear-block is located between the radiator and the opening to the cavity for providing mechanical protection to the radiator. An absorber assembly is located on an opposite side of the radiator from the opening. The absorber assembly comprises a microwave absorber and a first dielectric layer. The first dielectric layer is located between the radiator and the microwave absorber.

Abstract: An antenna for a ground-penetration radar system is disclosed. The antenna has a housing that defines a cavity. A radiator is located on a surface of a planar substrate within the cavity. A wear-block is located between the radiator and the opening to the cavity for providing mechanical protection to the radiator. An absorber assembly is located on an opposite side of the radiator from the opening. The absorber assembly comprises a microwave absorber and a first dielectric layer. The first dielectric layer is located between the radiator and the microwave absorber.

Abstract: An implement for use with an excavator includes a lightweight housing, a first coupling feature, a ground penetrating radar antenna, a controller, a wireless communication circuit and a rotation unit. The lightweight housing has an upper surface, a lower surface and a cavity. The first coupling feature is located on the upper surface and cooperates with a second coupling feature on an excavator arm. The ground penetrating radar antenna is mounted near the lower surface. The controller is mounted within the cavity and provides outgoing signals to the radar antenna, receives incoming signals from the radar antenna and interprets the incoming signals so as to provide implement output information. The wireless communication circuit is mounted within the cavity and transmits the implement output information. The rotation unit is mounted within the cavity and rotates the housing vis-à-vis the excavator arm.

Abstract: A ground penetration radar (GPR) antenna system is integrated into a digging machine such that the system is configured to remain operable under the same environmental conditions as the machine. The system includes a GPR antenna and an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The GPR antenna includes a rectangular hollow enclosure made of a conductive material defining a cavity therein and is affixed to a bucket of the digging machine. The IMU is mounted to the hollow enclosure and provides a space trajectory over time of the GPR antenna on the bucket as the digging machine is operated.

Abstract: A ground penetration radar (GPR) antenna system is integrated into a digging machine such that the system is configured to remain operable under the same environmental conditions as the machine. The system includes an RF antenna and an antenna monitor. The antenna includes a rectangular hollow enclosure made of a conductive material defining a cavity therein and is affixed to a bucket of the digging machine. The antenna monitor is rigidly connected to the hollow enclosure and monitors inertial antenna location and/or movement.

Abstract: A ground penetration radar (GPR) antenna system is integrated into a digging machine such that the system is configured to remain operable under the same environmental conditions as the machine. The system includes an RF antenna and an antenna monitor. The antenna includes a rectangular hollow enclosure made of a conductive material defining a cavity therein and is affixed to a bucket of the digging machine. The antenna monitor is rigidly connected to the hollow enclosure and monitors inertial antenna location and/or movement.

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) antenna that may include a hollow enclosure made of a conductive material; wherein a first portion of the hollow enclosure has a bow tie shaped slot; a conductor that is spaced apart from the slot, is positioned within a cavity defined by the hollow enclosure, and is electrically isolated from the hollow enclosure; a first port that is coupled to the conductor; and a dielectric element that is made of dielectric material that at least partially fills the cavity and the bow tie shaped slot; wherein the conductor is configured to perform at least one operation out of: (a) receive, via the cavity, received RF radiation and send a received RF signal to the first port; (b) receive, from the first port, a transmitted RF signal and radiating transmitted RF radiation via the cavity.

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) antenna that may include a hollow enclosure made of a conductive material; wherein a first portion of the hollow enclosure has a bow tie shaped slot; a conductor that is spaced apart from the slot, is positioned within a cavity defined by the hollow enclosure, and is electrically isolated from the hollow enclosure; a first port that is coupled to the conductor; and a dielectric element that is made of dielectric material that at least partially fills the cavity and the bow tie shaped slot; wherein the conductor is configured to perform at least one operation out of: (a) receive, via the cavity, received RF radiation and send a received RF signal to the first port; (b) receive, from the first port, a transmitted RF signal and radiating transmitted RF radiation via the cavity.

Abstract: A short range detection system, the system may include a transceiver that is configured to: transmit a step frequency pulse train that comprises multiple radio frequency (RF) pulses that are spaced apart from each other and differ from each other by carrier frequency; wherein spectrums of the multiple spaced apart pulses completely fill a frequency range in which multiple carrier frequencies of the multiple pulses reside; receive echoes resulting from a transmission of the step frequency pulse train; generate detection signals that represent the echoes; and a signal processor that is configured to process the detection signals to detect at least one attribute of a target.