Accurate object detection in short-range radar systems demands antennas with high directivity, low sidelobe levels (SLL), and stable performance across the operating bandwidth. Conventional patch arrays often struggle to achieve these requirements due to limitations in feed network design and radiation uniformity. To address this, here we proposed a compact 4 \(\times\) 8 microstrip array antenna employing a Dolph-Chebyshev transmission-line feed network and experimentally validated its performance. Measured results of the antenna show an operational bandwidth of 1.511 GHz (22.719−24.230 GHz) with the radiation pattern exhibits an SLL of −19.29 dB and a -3 dB beamwidth of 28.9 \(^\circ\) at \(\phi = 0^\circ\) . The fabricated antenna was integrated with a frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar configuration at 24 GHz and the system was tested for short-range object detection. The results demonstrate a significant improvement in detection accuracy, exhibiting a reduced average deviation compared to measurements obtained using the original antenna configuration. These results confirm that the proposed Dolph-Chebyshev-fed array enhances radar precision and reliability for compact 24 GHz sensing systems, while also providing a foundation for future development of adaptive, beam-steerable, and multifunctional antenna architectures.
