Ohio State University researchers are finding ways to incorporate radio antennas directly into clothing, using plastic film and metallic thread.The Ohio State system surrounds the body with several antennas that work together to transmit or receive a signal, no matter which way a person is facing. An integrated computer control device senses body movement and switches between the antennas to activate the one with the best performance given the body’s position. The engineers created a prototype antenna by etching thin layers of brass on a commercially available plastic film, called FR-4. They attached it into a vest at four locations –chest, back, and both shoulders. The computer controller, a metal box a little smaller than a credit card and an inch thick, was worn on a belt.In laboratory tests, the experimental antenna system provided significantly greater signal strength compared to a conventional military “whip” antenna, enabling a range of communications four times larger.Key to the technology was the engineers’ development of network communications coding to coordinate the signals among the antennas.Learn more from Ohio State University.
Incorporating Radio Antennas into Clothing
