The IEEE MTT-S Microwave Application Award was presented once again this year during the gala banquet organised by the Microwave Theory and Technology Society (MTT-S) of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). It was one of the highlights of this year’s International Microwave Symposium, held in Boston. The award went to Prof. Alexander Kölpin, Head of the Institute of High-Frequency Technology at the Technical University of Hamburg. Kölpin accepted the prize for his work in the field of interferometric radars for medical applications.
The method developed by Kölpin and his team makes it possible, for example, to measure microvibrations on the body surface of people lying in bed whilst fully clothed – without touching them. This involves recording respiratory movements, the pulse wave emitted by the heart and acoustic heart sounds. Using machine learning methods, these parameters can be analysed to draw conclusions about the current heart rate, cardiovascular problems, breathing and even conditions such as epilepsy or Parkinson’s disease.
Honour for 15 years of pioneering work
The basic concept of using radar to measure vital signs is not new. However, Alexander Kölpin’s group is the only one in the world to employ the highly specialised approach of a millimetre-wave interferometer instead of conventional radar. This yields measurements that are several orders of magnitude more precise than is usually the case.
Prof. Alexander Kölpin: “Even though I have the honour of accepting the award, this recognition is in fact a team achievement. I therefore dedicate this prize to the more than 20 PhD students whom I have had the privilege of supervising on this topic over the past 15 years. Through their enthusiasm, creativity, hard work and countless innovative ideas, they have helped to transform interferometric radar for medical applications from an academic research topic into a promising medical measurement technology for future clinical use.”
The IEEE MTT-S Microwave Application Award was presented in Germany for only the fourth time in 50 years in 2026 – and in this instance to a researcher at the Technical University of Hamburg. This annual award is presented by the Microwave Theory and Technology Society, which is part of the IEEE. The IEEE, a professional organisation headquartered in New York, is the leading global professional association for electrical and engineering sciences. It currently has around half a million members worldwide.
