Deformable smart antennas

电子通信系统是社会和商业所固有的。由于大多数电子通信依赖于无线接入，因此对服务的需求继续呈指数级增长。然而，无线电频谱是一种有限的全球共享资源。目前对频谱的需求意味着用户之间的无线电波干扰限制了无线通信并降低了信号质量。因此，提高共享无线效率的创新技术解决方案对加拿大的经济增长至关重要。如今，唯一能让用户更有效地共享频谱的技术是“智能”天线，也就是一种能根据其他用户的存在调整其操作的天线。目前，智能天线过于昂贵，无法在商业上适用于所有用户。这个国际和跨学科的研究团队将开发新的设计，用于经济实惠的智能天线，在共享频谱中自动和自适应地建立和维护可靠和有效的信道。将测试一种新颖的解决方案，其中提出的智能天线将通过在空间中机械移动天线元件来适应。电子“人造肌肉”将驱动可变形的天线。这种新的固态驱动技术有潜力以低成本驱动天线。设计要求将被定义，可行的驱动系统将与新的天线配置并行开发。然后，这两种技术将集成到一个可变形的智能天线系统中。对加拿大的好处将包括训练有素的跨学科研究工程师、科学学科之间技术转移的改善、无线用户效率的显著提高、新的人造肌肉技术、加拿大工业的新型执行器设计、加拿大高科技制造商/出口商与大学研究之间的合作和技术转移的增加、新的知识产权、并为新型天线系统的商业化发展指明了新的方向。

Electronic communication systems are intrinsic to society and business. Because most electronic communications rely on wireless access, the demand for service continues to grow exponentially. However, the radio frequency spectrum is a finite, globally shared resource. The current demand for spectrum means that radiowave interference between users is limiting wireless communications and degrading signal quality. Therefore, innovative technology solutions that improve shared wireless efficiency are critical to Canada's economic growth. Today the only technology that allows users to share the spectrum more efficiently is a "smart" antenna, or one that adapts its operation to the presence of other users. Currently, smart antennas are too expensive to be commercially feasible for all users. This international and interdisciplinary research team will develop new designs for affordable, smart antennas that automatically and adaptively build and maintain reliable and efficient channels in the shared spectrum. A novel solution will be tested where the proposed smart antenna will adapt by mechanically moving the antenna elements in space. Electronic "artificial muscles" will actuate the deformable antennas. This new, solid state actuation technology has the potential to actuate the antennas at low cost. Design requirements will be defined and feasible actuation systems developed in parallel with novel antenna configurations. Then, both technologies will be integrated into a deformable smart antenna system. The benefits to Canada will include highly trained, interdisciplinary research engineers, improved technology transfer between scientific disciplines, dramatic efficiency improvements for wireless users, new artificial muscle technology, novel actuator designs for Canadian industry, increased collaboration and technology transfer between Canadian hi-tech manufacturer/exporter and University research, new intellectual property, and a clear new direction for the commercial development of the new antenna systems.