Evaluation of Additive Manufacturing Techniques to Increase Drone Radar Detection Range

<p>The deployment of drones in civil airspaces has increased rapidly in recent years. However, their small radar cross-section hinders detectability by existing surveillance systems. This paper evaluates the feasibility of using additive manufacturing techniques with materials with enhanced electromagnetic properties to increase RADAR drone detectability. The examined methods include the production of propellers and landing gear with additive techniques and metal-doped plastics. Field experiments were performed measuring the radar detection range of an off-the-shelf drone with a 24 GHz RADAR module, and findings indicate that the use of specialized materials for drone manufacturing greatly improves drone detectability, increasing the detection range by a factor of 3.9 without changes to the drone design or inclusion of external electromagnetic reflectors.</p>