Advanced Antenna Technologies | Applied Aerodynamics | Autonomy
Aerotonomy, in partnership with researchers at GTRI, is developing several innovative antenna and antenna integration technologies with application to small, tactical unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Due to their relatively small size, integration of lower frequency RF systems into UAS represents a significant technical challenge with respect to achieving good electromagnetic performance while also minimizing the impacts on UAS aerodynamic performance, weight, and cost. Aerotonomy is developing design techniques for integrated conformal load-bearing antenna systems (CLAS) that meet this challenge using a systems approach that considers aircraft performance, structural performance, and antenna system performance as a whole. In addition, Aerotonomy is developing miniature antenna designs that hold promise to enable significant size reductions over conventional designs, while providing performance levels consistent with that obtainable from the current state-of-the-art. This work involves a combination of advanced modeling and analysis tools, innovative design techniques, and extensive testing of the antenna systems.
