Our Contribution
An antenna’s shape dictates many of its operating parameters, and once it’s manufactured, those characteristics are locked in. A shape-changing antenna would enable communications across a wider array of radio-frequency bands, opening up new realms of operational agility. Among the possibilities, a single shape-shifting antenna could do the work of multiple fixed-shape antennas, adapt dynamically to spectrum availability and change beamwidth to switch between short- and long-range communications. By leveraging cutting-edge additive manufacturing techniques and shape memory alloys, researchers at APL have created an antenna that can change its shape based on its temperature. This radically innovative technology could have wide-ranging applications, supporting special operators in the field, mobile network telecommunications, and even space missions to distant celestial bodies.
