In-situ evolution of a reconfigurable antenna

Evolvable hardware research has traditionally focused on evolvable circuits for applications such as computation, control, and signal processing. However, antennas have the potential to be evolvable as well. They are a crucial part of space vehicles, and, like electronic circuits, must eventually become evolvable to ensure survivability and maximum usefulness. The evolvable antenna system in this paper shows that an evolutionary algorithm and a reconfigurable antenna can be used to optimize signal reception in "real" surroundings, rather than in simulation or on a carefully controlled antenna range.