No More Rabbit Ears

A team of researchers in Korea have developed what they are calling a smart skin antenna. The material is a flat block about the size of the palm of your hand and contains hundreds of embedded microstrip antennas. Because the material would be flush with the outer surface of any vehicle it was used in, it would reduce drag and eliminate a site of potential structural weakness. The advantage in cars and airplanes is obvious. They also suggest using the material in consumer electronics to eliminate the extendible antenna in cell phones, boom boxes, and televisions. That last suggestion raises an important question for me. How would you attach the aluminium foil flags to these antennas when you want to improve the reception of your television set?