CAREER: Biomimetic Super-Resolving Electrically Small Antenna Arrays

这项研究的目的是利用仿生设计概念从根本上提高我们对超分辨电小天线阵列的理解。方法是利用声学和电磁系统之间的类比，开发微型天线阵列，模仿在某些小型脊椎动物和昆虫物种中观察到的超灵敏的定向听觉。智能优点：该项目寻求使用一种以前未探索过的方法来解决电小天线领域的一个根本挑战。这项工作有望引入传统小型天线阵所没有的超分辨能力。这些功能可以将小型无线系统的功能提升到一个全新的水平，并支持目前尚不可行的应用。更广泛的影响：这个项目预计将对社会和经济产生重大的积极影响，因为它将彻底改变我们如何应对微波医学成像、无线网络、雷达系统、传感器、射频识别和帮助残疾人和视障人士的射频设备等领域的挑战。这项工作的教育目标与研究目标密切相关，包括促进中学和高中科学教师以工程为导向的专业发展，将研究活动纳入K-12、本科生和研究生的科学和工程教学，让代表不足的学生参与研究，以及开发和广泛传播以研究为基础的教材。间接地，这些教育活动预计将对增加攻读工程学的女学生和攻读电气工程研究生的少数族裔学生的数量产生积极影响。

The objective of this research is to fundamentally advance our understanding of super-resolving electrically small antenna arrays using biomimetic design concepts. The approach is to use the analogies between acoustical and electromagnetic systems and develop miniaturized antenna arrays that mimic the hyperacute sense of directional hearing observed in certain small vertebrates and insect species. Intellectual Merit: This project seeks to address a fundamental challenge in the area of electrically small antennas using a previously unexplored approach. This work is expected to introduce super-resolving capabilities that have not been achieved from conventional small antenna arrays. These capabilities can bring a whole new level of functionality to small wireless systems and enable applications that are not currently feasible. Broader Impacts: This project is expected to have a significantly positive impact on society and economy by revolutionizing how we address challenges in areas such as microwave medical imaging, wireless networks, radar systems, sensors, radio-frequency identification, and radio-frequency devices for assisting the disabled and visually impaired. Educational goals of this work are intimately linked to research goals and include facilitation of engineering-oriented professional development of middle-school and high-school science teachers, integration of research activities into the teaching of science and engineering at the K-12, undergraduate, and graduate levels, involvement of under-represented students in research, and development and broad dissemination of research-based educational materials. Indirectly, these educational activities are expected to have a positive impact on increasing the number of female students who pursue engineering and minority students who pursue graduate studies in electrical engineering.