Implementation of HMI-Based Gesture Recognition and UWB Radar in Autonomous Vehicles

Abstract: This paper presents the MATLAB simulation and implementation of a 2–6 GHz CMOS Ultra-Wideband (UWB) radar transceiver front-end designed in 45 nm technology for HMI-based gesture recognition in autonomous vehicles. The transmitter chain employs digital pulse generation (5 ns rectangular pulse), Gaussian pulse shaping for spectral compliance, a Digitally Controlled Oscillator (DCO) providing a 4 GHz carrier, and an up-conversion mixer producing an RF output at 4.5 GHz. The received signal is processed via matched-filter correlation for range estimation, CA-CFAR detection for robust target identification, and a Kalman-filter-based tracker for long-range target following. An 8-gesture recognition vocabulary is implemented, with each gesture mapped to a specific vehicle command. Simulation results confirm FCC Part 15 UWB spectral compliance, accurate range detection at 45.5 m, multi-target resolution of pedestrian-car scenarios at 30–32 m separation, and gesture detection with a sub-5 ns observation window. The system achieves low-power, integrated radar-based HMI suitable for next-generation autonomous vehicles.

Keywords: UWB radar, gesture recognition, autonomous vehicles, CMOS transceiver, CFAR detection, Kalman tracking, HMI, FCC compliance.