GTRI Agile Aperture Antenna Tested on Autonomous Ocean Vehicle

By Caroline Rees / 27 Jun 2013

Smart Sourcing for Unmanned Systems

Discover cutting-edge solutions from leading global suppliers
SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT
Follow UST
Wave Glider Research

GTRI researchers (l-r) Jim Maloney, Matthew Habib and Gregory Kiesel pose with a Wave Glider autonomous marine robot during tests in the ocean off Hawaii.

Antenna technology originally developed to quickly send and receive information through a software-defined military radio may soon be used to transmit ocean data from a wave-powered autonomous surface vehicle. The technology, the lowest-power method for maintaining a satellite uplink, automatically compensates for the movement of the antenna as the boat bobs around on the ocean surface.

The Agile Aperture Antenna technology developed by the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is expected to provide a more reliable and faster method of transmitting video, audio and environmental data – such as salinity, temperature, fluorescence and dissolved oxygen – from an ocean vehicle to land via satellite.

Agile Aperture Antenna Composite illustration

Composite illustration shows the Agile Aperture Antenna as it would be mounted in a radome, with the radome removed to show details of the antenna circuitry pattern.

In December 2012, the antenna was attached to a Wave Glider vehicle and placed into the ocean off the coast of Hawaii. The Wave Glider, an autonomous marine robot developed by California-based Liquid Robotics, Inc., uses only the ocean’s endless supply of wave energy for propulsion. The Wave Glider can collect ocean data for a wide range of applications, including meteorology, oceanography, national security and offshore energy. Solar panels on the vehicle power the antenna, which requires only 0.25 watts of power and can switch up to 1,000 beams per second.

During the demonstration, the antenna maintained a satellite link with a sustained data upload rate of 200 kilobits per second (Kbps) for several hours, despite the Wave Glider rolling and yawing back and forth on the waves. The Agile Aperture Antenna required significantly less power and space to achieve these test results than a gimbaled antenna or a phased array solution.

“Because the antenna autonomously tracked its own position and orientation relative to the satellite and steered itself to stay connected, it maintained a highly directional antenna beam to the satellite as the craft moved around, which enabled data transfers near the maximum expected rate of 240 Kbps,” said Gregory Kiesel, a GTRI senior research engineer. “Antenna integration was also easy because the craft did not need to communicate with the antenna to maintain the connection.”

The Agile Aperture Antenna requires less power and takes up less space than traditional antenna solutions including mechanical systems and phased-array antennas. The technology also exhibits higher reliability than mechanical systems and is less expensive than phased-array antennas.

“The combination of the Wave Glider’s long duration and intelligent autonomy capabilities through GTRI’s new Agile Aperture Antenna provides customers with increased communications precision through the roughest of seas,” said Richard “Scoop” Jackson, director of federal business development with Liquid Robotics. “The availability of the GTRI Agile Aperture Antenna on the Wave Glider SV Series comes at a perfect time when deployment of autonomous surface vehicles for maritime security is rapidly increasing due to the cost and capability advantages.”

Agile Aperture Antenna

Image shows an Agile Aperture Antenna being tested in a Georgia Tech compact range.

The antenna’s performance can be optimized because it is reconfigurable, which means the electrical structure of the antenna can be easily changed – even while in operation in the field. The antenna consists of a thin dielectric substrate that supports an array of square, metallic patches that can be switched on or off as needed to provide the proper configuration. The researchers measure the antenna patterns to determine which switches should be open and which should be closed to optimize the antenna performance.

“Our biggest challenge with this project has been to quickly control the switches on the antenna in a low-power fashion without impacting antenna performance,” said Kiesel.

While the antenna remained in a fixed position for the recent demonstration, for future tests the researchers may add a low-power mechanical system to slowly raise the antenna to an operational angle and then stow it to a position flush with the surface of the Wave Glider when the antenna isn’t needed. This technology would make it harder to visually detect the Wave Glider.

The original antenna technology was developed by GTRI Advanced Concepts Laboratory director Lon Pringle, principal research engineer Jim Maloney and former principal research engineer Paul Friederich.

“We anticipate that our agile aperture antenna technology will begin wide deployment on unmanned surface vehicles in the next year and on unmanned air vehicles within two years given its advantages of being low power and lightweight,” noted Maloney.

In addition to those already mentioned, GTRI researchers Don Davis, Matthew Habib, Bill Hunter and Tim Richardson also contributed to this research.

Posted by Caroline Rees Caroline co-founded Unmanned Systems Technology and has been at the forefront of the business ever since. With a Masters Degree in marketing Caroline has her finger on the pulse of all things unmanned and is committed to showcasing the very latest in unmanned technical innovation. Connect & Contact

Latest Articles

Most Read Articles on UST This Week

Here’s our round-up of the five most read articles on UnmannedSystemsTechnology.com this week

Feb 14, 2025
FlyingBasket to Discuss Drone Industry Challenges at XPO Europe

FlyingBasket CTO Matthias Moroder will join a panel at Xponential Europe to discuss the regulatory and market challenges hindering drone industry growth, and the importance of collaboration for wider adoption

Feb 14, 2025
Advanced EFI Engines for Commercial & Industrial Drones

INF Inject's 2- and 4-stroke EFI engines can be provided with a range of options such as alternators, starter-alternators and generators

Feb 14, 2025
SDO 50 UAV Completes Long-Distance BVLOS Pipeline Inspection

SwissDrones’ SDO 50 UAV has successfully carried out a 550-kilometer BVLOS pipeline inspection in Queensland, providing precise, actionable data while maintaining high safety standards

Feb 14, 2025
Enhancing Unmanned System Reliability with SCS Silicone Conformal Coatings

Specialty Coating Systems (SCS) provides advanced conformal coating solutions to protect unmanned systems’ electronics from extreme conditions, ensuring durability, reliability, and compliance with evolving industry standards

Feb 14, 2025
Explore Geospatial Tools with Blue Marble at XPONENTIAL Europe

Blue Marble Geographics will showcase advanced geospatial software at XPONENTIAL Europe 2025, featuring live demos of the Global Mapper Suite and advanced geospatial tools

Feb 14, 2025

Featured Content

Military Vehicles to Feature Small Tethered UAS from Elistair

Elistair has secured a €3 million contract to equip military vehicles with tethered UAS, enhancing real-time intelligence and operational awareness

Feb 13, 2025
Ellipse Series Enhanced with Latest Firmware Upgrade

The new firmware update from SBG Systems integrates the latest World Magnetic Model (WMM) to improve navigation precision, even for first-generation Ellipse sensors

Feb 11, 2025
Advanced FOG-Based Inertial Sensing Solutions for Drones & Robotics

Aegiverse's products feature a multi-layered architecture that combines multiple elements into a compact module, providing significant, size, weight and cost reductions

Feb 06, 2025