Low frequency antennas provide us with the most critical challenge in small UAVs due to the limited available real estate on the platform. The primary objective of our Phase I research was to fill a critical technology gap in small UAVs for low frequency communication and SIGINT applications. We carried out a very comprehensive Phase I research to develop light-weight, conformal volumetric UAV antennas based on embroidered conductive fibers . We demonstrated reliable fabrication and excellent performance of embroidered e-textile antennas standalone and on a UAV as well . Especially, we focused on high-performance and low-profile antennas for UAV applications. In other words, we have demonstrated the fundamental feasibility of using textile conductive fibers to achieve conformal, light-weight and load-bearing antennas that have similar performance to that of traditional antennas made out of copper and ceramic substrates. In Phase II, PaneraTech continues its partnership with The Ohio State University- ElectroScience Laboratory (OSU-ESL) to further increase Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of this technology for integration onto UAV platforms for low frequency applications. We also enlisted support of UAVision of Dayton, OH to support antenna integration and mechanical testing of our proposed antenna technology on real UAV platforms. We will specifically address integration with the UAV platform and carry out mechanical tests to characterize performance of the integrated antennas under various structural forces UAV experiences during a flight. We will also develop remedies to avoid potential de-tuning and frequency variations in the antenna performance due to structural variations of the antenna, if experienced any, during the flight.
Benefit: Conformal, light-weight and load bearing antennas based on conductive textile threads offer significant advantage to improved communication on UAVs in communication/navigation/surveillance systems. Conformal and flexible antennas can also be used in various commercial applications including, body-worn antennas and medical applications for improved imaging and patient monitoring.
Keywords: Conformal antennas, textile antennas, load-bearing antennas, flexible antennas, conductive fibers, body-worn antennas, SIGINT for UAVs
