Characterizing Attenuation of Bumper Modifications: A Comparative Study in the E-Band

Having knowledge about the attenuation of the materials surrounding a radar sensor is of great importance in the automotive sector. Only then can the manufacturer guarantee the desired functionality of the sensor. Due to the fact that a lot of automotive manufacturers also started integrating radar sensors behind rear bumpers for improved visibility to the back of a car, it is vital to know how those bumpers and possible repair scenarios done to them can affect the radar sensor. This paper proposes a way to measure the attenuation in the E-band of not only square slab samples representing various types of paint and repair scenarios on automotive bumpers, but also actual rear bumpers with different types of repair scenarios. The results are then presented and compared relative to each other.