NEW YORK��A new antenna design has proven its ability to withstand the bending and stretching that garments endure, while steadily communicating via Wi-Fi,� Jeremy Hsu writes in thisIEEE Spectrum article.
A helical spring antenna was developed at Saudi Arabia�s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, and it features a copper antenna on top of a polymer layer. The device is characterized as the first antenna capable of maintaining a steady communication frequency despite being twisted and stretched, according to the Oct. 6 digital issue of Advanced Functional Materials.
�Standalone testing showed the antenna could communicate in the standard Wi-Fi frequency range across distances of up to 140 meters�about one and a half soccer fields. A boost in the transmission power from 1.25 milliwatts to 10 milliwatts increased the maximum range to 394 meters,� the article says.
�This human body testing showed that the antenna could broadcast signals as far as 225 meters, depending on the transmission power levels,� Hsu writes.
Read the full articlehere.
