# Designing Advanced Multistatic Imaging Systems with Optimal 2D Sparse Arrays
## 2 Multistatic Architecture  
A multistatic architecture refers to a configuration in which multiple spatially distributed transmitters and receivers collaborate to perform sensing or imaging tasks. This architecture contrasts with traditional monostatic radar systems, where a single radar unit serves as both the transmitter and the receiver.  
In a multistatic radar system, each transmitter emits electromagnetic waves toward the designated area of interest. Multiple receivers are strategically placed in various locations to simultaneously detect reflections or echoes of waves that were transmitted and interacted with targets in the surrounding environment.  
The main idea behind multistatic architectures is to utilize the spatial diversity of receivers to obtain more detailed and comprehensive information regarding the observed scene. These approaches offer several advantages in both scientific and practical applications, including:  
* Multistatic architectures can achieve increased spatial resolution through the collection of data from various angles. This provides the system with the ability to distinguish small details, resulting in more precise measurements that are paramount in the identification of targets, object recognition, and other imaging tasks.
* Deploying transmitters and receivers across multiple locations improves system resilience, making it harder for adversaries to disrupt. In case one component is compromised, the system remains operational with the unaffected ones.
* Multistatic systems reduce blind spots caused by obstructions or interference, achieved through the use of multiple sensors, which provide comprehensive coverage.
* Multistatic radar systems are highly effective in detecting and tracking stealth targets that exhibit low visibility due to their inability to maintain stealth from all angles, thus becoming more visible from diverse viewpoints.
* The designs of multistatic systems are flexible and allow for customized configurations that meet specific operational requirements, accommodating a wide range of applications.  
These advantages collectively make multistatic radar systems a valuable tool for defense and surveillance applications.  
These systems are primarily designed for real-time personal security and surveillance applications. Therefore, it is vital to minimize the number of elements needed, which can be achieved by opting for sparse arrays instead of the denser ones that are generally used. Sparse arrays offer many advantages in this context. In particular, they improve cost efficiency by reducing the number of antenna elements required, leading to savings in hardware acquisition, deployment, and maintenance. They also reduce the computational load for signal processing and data analysis, which is critical for real-time applications. These arrays demonstrate versatility by seamlessly adapting to different scenarios and skillfully balancing performance and complexity. Most importantly, they address resource conservation and environmental sustainability by requiring fewer resources. Using sparse arrays strategically optimizes performance while efficiently managing resources and complexity compared to denser alternatives.