Multi-Purpose Antenna

The increasing demand for additional antennas competing for space on the already heavily populated military airborne platforms requires antenna solutions that will accommodate multiple functions through efficient broadband or simultaneous multiband operation. At the same time, the issues of antenna coupling and avoidance of EMI must be addressed. Given the lack of space, the most viable solution is to reduce the number of antennas by increasing their functionality. Increasing functionality, however, requires extending the bandwidth and incorporating complex radiating structures that meet a longer list of band and gain requirements. Ideally multi-band operation will be accomplished with a concomitant reduction in size, weight, and profile (a conformal construct) without sacrificing optimum performance. For the proposed program Spectra Research, Inc. has teamed with Scientists from the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) to apply new technological antenna advances in fragmented aperture designs and meta-materials, leveraged through new antenna design tools, toward solving the challenge of designing small, multi-function antennas that reduce the space, weight, and drag demand on aircraft, while addressing the issues of intra-antenna interference.BENEFITS: Spectra Research's commercialization strategy will capitalize upon the growing demand for miniaturized ultra-wideband antennas in the communications market. As the requirement for frequency allocations in the wireless internet market increases, the need for inexpensive antennas for the burgeoning product offerings will increase significantly. We will explore the opportunity for acquiring Phase III financial support from major antenna manufacturing organizations. Spectra Research’s corollary commercialization strategy will concentrate on the drive for low drag, reduced RCS antennas on aircraft, UAVs, and spacecraft. In this arena we will concentrate on addressing the market through traditional government channels. In the Military market the technology developed under this effort will have applicability to unmanned air vehicles, multi-mission aircraft, and other military aircraft where multiple antennas are used and space is limited. This technology could be used in the private sector as well with any vehicle that requires multiple antennas as a means to reduce the amount of individual antennas required.