Utah State University researchers work to refine smart antenna technology

Researchers at Utah State University (USU) are working on technology to enable a single antenna to dynamically change its properties to address frequency, polarization and radiation pattern.

Bedri Cetiner, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Utah State University, told Salt Lake City's Fox 13 that the project is focused on smarter antenna technologies that offer improvements over traditional setups. Similar to a chameleon reptile, which changes the color of its skin to adapt and survive in its environment, the antenna will respond when changes happen in the channel. A circuit board allows the antenna to morph its dimensions to better function with varying signals.  

The goal of the research is to be able to maintain optimum performance at all times on wireless devices. The U.S. Air Force recently gave USU a grant for $1 million to expand the research. Read more