Researcher of non-contact radar sensors wins £350k prize

The researcher in question, Dr. Changzhi Li, professor at Texas Tech University in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, has been developing portable radar sensors that enable monitoring individuals without the need for on-body devices. They remotely check small motions such as respiration and heartbeat.

Thanks to the design of these sensors, they have provided greater clarity on medical conditions such as sleep apnoea and suddan infant death syndrome (SIDS), and can be seen in the touch-free gesture controls found in today's electronics.

Li’s research has also enhanced wireless human-machine interfaces and benefitted smart living and environmental monitoring – to provide accurate indoor user information and support next generation energy-efficiency and management. He holds 14 US patents with three others pending. 

In spite of the rapid growth of radar-based biomedical sensing, its integration into everyday life remains limited due to challenges with body orientation and movement, which can impact the reliability of obtaining useful high-quality signals. Li hopes to use the £350,000 prize to look at how to extract these interferences to enhance and improve the technology to achieve clearer readings and results.

"I am deeply honoured to receive the A F Harvey Engineering Research Prize and I’m thrilled about the work ahead," said Dr. Li. "The Prize will enable my research group to embark on a five-year journey focused on developing compound-eye RF vision technology for next-generation biomedical radar. Our goal is to advance low-power microwave sensing techniques to monitor key information of the human body without the need for wearable devices, ultimately enhancing the well-being of society."

Sir Warren East KBE, President, IET added: “The IET’s A F Harvey Engineering Research Prize supports the world’s best scientists and engineers to advance their research. Professor Li is changing the landscape of radar technology, which will have a profound benefit to society. We’re excited to support the next phase of his research.”

Professor Li will present his work at a keynote lecture, hosted by the IET, on 26th March 2025. The event will be broadcast live and followed by a Q&A session.

The A F Harvey prize is named after Dr A F Harvey who gave a generous sum of money to the IET for a trust fund to be set up in his name to further research in the specified fields of medical, microwave and radar, and laser/optoelectronic engineering, with the prize fund awarded to support the research of the recipient.