From Sweater to Satellite: Knitted Antennas Could Revolutionize Remote Communication

No, really. This 'what if?' isn't that far from reality according to Plant Services senior editorAlexis Gajewski's recent report on a team of researchers from Columbia Engineering that created lightweight, flexible radio-frequency (RF) communications antennas that can send information over long distances while being able to be knitted into garments such as blankets or sweaters. The researchers state that this would be particularly useful for making communications easier for those who live or travel in remote locations since this would get rid of the challenge of heavy, bulky satellite antennas.

The team used their expertise in metasurfaces—ultra-thin optical components that can control the propagation of light—and a low-cost, scalable flat-knitting platform to create RF communications antennas that are easy to carry and deploy.

"By integrating the textile fabrication and antenna patterning into a single process, the team streamlined the fabrication process and alleviated common defects in fabric-based antennas. The group is the first to adapt flat-knitting techniques to incorporate antennas directly during the fabric production procedure—integrated fabrication—and is able to do it at low cost and high yield on an industrial scale. For example, each of the prototype metasurfaces with a footprint of approximately one square meter was knit within 45 minutes. In addition, the flat-knit fabric devices withstood repeated washing and stretching on a frame," wrote Holly Evarts in a recent article for Columbia Engineering.