SBIR Phase II:A Search Engine for Antenna Design

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project seeks to develop and launch a software tool that applies advanced AI algorithms to antenna design and optimization. Manual antenna design and optimization methods are time- and labor-intensive, limit complexity, and require significant expertise. Genetic algorithm (GA) optimization has demonstrated success at quickly finding effective antenna design solutions not ordinarily found through engineering intuition. To harness the power of these search algorithms currently, an engineer must be an expert in both GAs and Electromagnetics. In Phase I, feasibility of a highly-automated design approach where useful antennas can be generated without requiring significant guidance was demonstrated: the user simply inputs design requirements (e.g., RF performance, dimensions, etc.), and an automated optimization produces compliant designs. If successful, this technology promises to improve the performance and economics of future antenna applications for commercial and government customers. The world is in the midst of an explosion in the number of new wireless, mobile, and RF systems - all of which rely on one or more antennas. Yet antenna design has changed little in the past two decades, with large up-front costs and slow, inefficient trial-and-error methods. X5 Systems is attempting to bring to market a next generation way to design antennas: one that is faster, better, cheaper. The commercial potential of the proposed software system encompasses application areas of interest to companies in mobile and wireless, RFID, and consumer electronics, as well as government agencies - especially applications that have exacting performance, schedule, and cost requirements.