Additive Manufacture of Conformal Antennas for UAV

Our project will develop a direct-print additive manufacturing (AM) platform using engineered, print-compatible nanocomposite materials to fabricate wideband, low-profile conformal antennas integrated directly into robust UAV structural skins. In Phase I, we will conduct detailed electromagnetic simulations, extensive materials characterization, and RF testing on planar prototypes to optimize our nanocomposite formulations—including high-permittivity, magnetically responsive, and highly conductive materials—across the 1–24?GHz spectrum, and to demonstrate printing of deep subwavelength (?/20) structures. This precision enables hierarchical, multi-material fabrication of antennas embedded with subwavelength elements such as conductive radiators, ground planes, impedance matching layers, and interconnect leads. Our designs incorporate EM-property-graded ground planes, frequency-selective surfaces (FSS), metasurfaces (MS), tapered resistive layers, and RF-absorbing skins to reduce radar cross-section (RCS) and optimize overall performance. Rigorous testing of individual components and integrated structures will validate our concepts, establish key performance metrics, and identify integration challenges—laying a robust foundation for full-scale UAV integration and flight testing in Phase II.