Riverside Research and Oklahoma State University Win DARPA Funding for Terahertz Radar Sensor

Riverside Research and Oklahoma State University have been awarded funding from DARPA to develop a next-generation radar sensor capable of detecting extremely small objects, PR Newswire reported on October 22, 2026. The national security nonprofit and the university will build a sensor using radar operating at terahertz frequencies.

How the Terahertz Radar Project Will Work

The project is led by principal investigator Rajind Mendis, Ph.D., senior research scientist at Riverside Research, and co-principal investigator John O'Hara, Ph.D., associate professor and PSO/Albrecht Naeter Professor of electrical engineering at OSU. Their team will create a sensor that uses radar operating at terahertz frequencies, which are 10 to 100 times higher than typical radar systems. Higher frequencies enable finer resolution, allowing operators to detect and track objects smaller than one inch, which current technologies cannot achieve. THz radar is suited to this challenge because it operates with wavelengths of roughly 3 millimeters or smaller, enabling systems to distinguish tiny objects at long distances.

"Typical approaches involve microwave radar, which usually employs frequencies too low to resolve small objects at long distances," O'Hara said. "It is a fundamental physics problem. By using higher frequencies, we eliminate the resolution problem."

The work builds on years of collaboration between Riverside Research and OSU to design prototype THz systems with real-world applications. The team's video proposal was selected through the DARPA Expedited Research Implementation Series (ERIS) Marketplace, which identifies innovative solutions with strong potential impact for national security missions. DARPA awarded RxMP Therapeutics up to $10.7 million under its RAPIID program on October 20, 2026, PR Newswire reported.

"We are excited to be working with DARPA to push the performance envelope on our next-generation THz radar," said Josh Wetherington, Ph.D., director of spectrum warfare innovation at Riverside Research and the program manager. "Like the lane assist or pedestrian detection technology in cars, the project deliverables could one day become critical components of control systems for situational awareness."

Riverside Research's Federal Contract Record

Riverside Research is a 501(c)(3) national security nonprofit founded in 1967 that delivers advanced AI/ML, secure virtualization, THz imaging, radar, and ISR solutions exclusively to the U.S. Department of Defense and Intelligence Community under multi-year federal contracts, according to akta.pro company records. The organization is one of four companies awarded a position on the Air Force NASIC contract vehicle valued at $866 million in May 2026, with a period of performance running through June 30, 2034. Riverside Research also entered a strategic co-development partnership with Plexus Corp. announced in May 2026, producing the Aegis R52L Enhanced Retransmission Device, an NSA CSfC-compliant secure edge encryption platform built on a modular hardware/software architecture.

Earlier Riverside Research Deals

Riverside Research and Kitware added software inventory capabilities to CMake, embedding metadata on components and dependencies, ExecutiveBiz reported in October 2026. Tom Lash was named president and CEO of Riverside Research, a nonprofit research organization, GovCon Wire reported in September 2026. Riverside Research announced a partnership with Tera AI to integrate DeepSLAM, a technology that builds 3D maps using passive cameras without GPS, into its capabilities for air and surface operations, ExecutiveBiz reported in August 2026.

What Comes Next for the Sensor

For OSU, the project underscores the university's leadership in long-distance THz communications and sensing and provides hands-on experience for students and early-career researchers. "The ultimate goal is to develop a THz radar with low size, weight and power requirements for easy field deployment, the first of its kind," Mendis said.