ABSTRACT
The classical definition of a beamformer basically specifies its goal: to estimate the signal waveform arriving at the array from a given direction. Beamformers are spatial processors that combine the signals impinging on an array of captors. Combining the outputs of the captors forms a narrow beam pointing toward the direction of the source (look direction). This narrow beam can discriminate between sources spatially located at distinct sites. This important property of beamformers is used to design techniques that localize active or passive sources particularly in RADAR=SONAR systems.
