3d Printed antennas

By Allan Regis

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Project goal

Design antennas with unique aesthetic designs, and dual polarization for good performance.

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Initial inspirations Antenna Designs in Industry

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Patch Antennas Dish Antenna

Horn Antenna

Turnstile Antenna

Initial inspirations Theoretical/Research Antennas

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Metal etched onto circuit boards

AdvantagesCost effectiveWide variety availableCompact

DisadvantagesConfined to two-dimensional

board

Initial inspirations ‘Homebrew’ Antennas

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Antennas fashioned by individuals using ‘whatever works’

AdvantagesFunctional antennas that are

cheap & easy to construct

DisadvantagesTypically fragileAesthetic nightmare

Initial inspirations Metal 3D Printed Antennas

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Prints Gallium to create a three-dimensional antenna array

AdvantagesHighly innovativeCustomizable designs

DisadvantagesVery expensiveCan be fragile

Early antenna models

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Two 3D printed mounts, plus base plate

Two screws hold antenna together

Copper wires fed through small loops at the of the 3D

printed ‘arms’

Form & Function Studies: Dipole Antenna

Early antenna models Same two screws can support

tripole design

Each dipole carefully measured to be equidistant from center

Uses two of the same pieces for increased modularity

Form & Function Studies: Tripole Antenna

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Early antenna models

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Mounting Pieces support 3D printed antennas for either tripole or dual dipole antennas

Form & Function Studies: Tripole Antenna

Works-like prototypes

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Dipole Antenna

(Fourth wire is currently M.I.A.)

Works-like prototypes Tripole Antenna

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Works-like prototypes Tripole Antenna w/ Support

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Tripole pieces 3D printed in acrylic to

preserve finer details

Design challenges

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How might we incorporate more unique aesthetic designs?

Can we make the antennas modular, so customers could get more use from them?

What unique functions can our technology provide that competitors cannot?

The solution:

The Copernican Gear Antenna

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Animation Link:https://youtu.be/I4tDekpHhWk

Model inspirations

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Exploded view

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Key features

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Glass domes protect insides from unwanted damage or tampering, but still allows operators to see

inner mechanismsAntenna’s transmission lines go through hole in

bottom glass, and through bottom of

stand

Copernican’s gears enable three-dimensional turning of

mounted antennas, which can give non-tripole antennas more

sensory capabilities

Key features

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Tripole OR dual dipole can snap into center gear. Highly modular

Radial marks help determine exactly how far from rest position the antenna has

turned

Key features

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Bottom stand is removable, meaning the Copernican can be

integrated into a variety of systems (other than tabletop

sensing)

All gears are equation-driven, and can be modified to a

certain size within seconds, while maintaining optimal

meshing conditions

Equation-driven gears

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Markets and uses

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Could be used as a tabletop research antenna for test field strengths in Communication Labs

Gears can be attached to electromechanical systems to control the antenna’s orientation via microprocessors in large machinery

Increased WiFi reception for personal laptop computers

conclusions

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Usefulness? The Copernican offers the potential for omnidirectional sensing withvirtually any type of antenna

Modularity? Copernican is cost efficient, and can be quickly customized to fit awide variety of sensing applications

Elegance? The Gear Antenna breaks the monotony of standard antenna designs,especially those of dipoles, dual dipoles, and tripole antennas.

No other product on the market can provide all these benefits…

The Gear Antenna is a GO!!