Antennas is an essential part of any wireless communication and sensor system that use the energy of electromagnetic waves to transfer information wirelessly through space. There are many different applications that drive the development of antenna systems. The most known sectors include telecommunications, radars, transport, astronomy and space sciences. Other applications are quantum computers, metrology and biomedicine.
Antenna research area
Antennas is an essential part of any wireless communication and sensor system that use the energy of electromagnetic waves to transfer information wirelessly through space. There are many different applications that drive the development of antenna systems. The most known sectors include telecommunications, radars, transport, astronomy and space sciences. Other applications are quantum computers, metrology and biomedicine. Because of this wide range of applications and uses, antennas can operate at a large range of frequencies, from low gigahertz up to terahertz bands. Antennas can be embedded in various and complex environments, from human tissues to space.
Many future wireless sensing and communication applications will rely on innovative antenna systems, including smart cities and connected vehicles for efficient logistics and transportation, autonomous industries for efficient production, extended reality for better healthcare, education, and life experience, and distributed energy production and storage. As a concrete example of this vision, the sixth-generation wireless telecommunication (6G) vision aims to unite communication with sensing networks and computing tools to provide services in a trustworthy, inclusive, and sustainable way, which is a cornerstone of all UN SDGs. However, delivering on these promises requires radical and urgent advancement of antenna technologies; to provide new capabilities and, more importantly, to reduce the environmental impact of the wireless systems themselves. In particular, exploring emerging electronics integrated antenna technologies and developing new holistic design processes and over-the-air test methods are vital.
There are many actors within the antenna systems area in Sweden. Traditionally, large Swedish industries have been leading the area, particularly in telecommunications, defense and space. Today, several smaller companies have entered the antenna industry. Some of them are spinoff-companies that have emerged from antenna research at Chalmers, e.g. Bluetest AB, Gapwaves AB, RanLos AB, and Metasum AB.
