DOA estimation with synthetic nested array using moving sensor

The synthetic aperture methods are widely used to extend array aperture by exploiting platform motion. In this paper, a synthetic nested array using moving sensor for DOA estimation is proposed. With the moving sensor, we can construct a longer nested array which is equivalent to the real array. Then traditional DOA estimation algorithms for nested array can also be applied, such as spatial smooth MUSIC algorithm. By extending the array aperture and exploiting synthetic nested array, the DOA estimation performance can be improved. In the ideal case, the performance of synthetic and real array is the same which is vilified by performance analysis and simulations.