Antenna Arrays and Propagation Models for Advanced Wireless Systems

The development of advanced phased array antennas and new propagation models that address wireless applications in challenging propagation environments have and will continue to be a critically important component in the development of future wireless systems with applications in communications, radar, and Satellite technologies. In spite of the significant advances in these technologies, challenges continue to preclude their low cost, reliable, and high speed application in tough propagation environments including urban areas, UAVs, and other DoD applications. In this paper we describe some of the ongoing research activities at the University of Hawaii in the area of advanced wireless systems. In the antenna array design technology, two complementary antenna arrays designs will be described and the development of an ultra-wideband ground plane for foliage penetrating radars will be discussed. For the propagation modeling area, new models for characterizing indoor/outdoor transmission and for evaluating wireless coverage in urban areas taking into account the radiation patterns of the transmitting and receiving antennas will be presented. In all cases simulation results will be presented and validation with experimental observations will be included whenever available.