As antenna alters shape, frequencies can shift too. Modifiable design could replace rigid models, transforming how devices sense, communicate, and adapt.
Researchers at MIT have unveiled a reconfigurable antenna that can be stretched, bent, or compressed to alter its radiation properties, potentially replacing multiple fixed antennas in future technologies. The innovation, called the meta-antenna, adapts its resonance frequency without relying on complex mechanical parts, enabling operation across a wider range of frequency signals.
The meta-antenna is built from metamaterials, engineered structures whose properties (stiffness and strength) depend on geometry rather than composition. Applications of customisable antennae include monitoring chest expansion for respiration tracking, energy transfer for wearables, motion sensing for augmented reality, and adaptive wireless communication protocols. The interconnected geometry of metamaterials reduces the need for complex mechanics, opening new possibilities for adaptive, lightweight communication systems.
Prototypes integrated into smart devices highlight the antenna’s versatility. A headphone system used frequency shifts of just 2.6 percent to switch between noise-cancelling and transparency modes, while the structure endured more than 10,000 compressions without failure. Other demonstrations included a self-adjusting smart curtain. A dielectric layer, laser-cut from rubber, is sandwiched between two conductive coatings to form a flexible patch antenna. Because the flexible patch can be applied to a wide variety of surfaces, future applications may extend to smart textiles for biomedical sensing or real-time environmental monitoring.
To improve durability, the team applied a protective acrylic layer. The antenna’s resonance frequency shifts as its shape changes, allowing it to act as both a transmitter and a sensor. An inbuilt digital design tool lets users customise metamaterial antennas by adjusting parameters such as patch size, dielectric thickness, and unit cell geometry. The software give makers a direct route from design to fabrication using a standard laser cutter.
Looking ahead, the team plans to develop three-dimensional versions of the meta-antenna to broaden its functionality. Work is underway to upgrade the design tool, improve the flexibility and resilience of the metamaterial, experiment with new symmetrical patterns, and automate parts of the fabrication process.
