Origami Boat Sensing Antenna

A monopole antenna for controlling an unmanned surface vehicle (USV), an origami boat, with a built-in sensing function for surface detection is proposed. The design is proof-of-concept for detecting the surface on which the USV sits. The USV model is a Mylar sheet, folded into an origami boat with the antenna on its mast. A quadrilateral structure with piece cut-off from its longest side extends from the monopole antenna's ground plane. This structure provides the surface detection function. The antenna design targets commercial drones' wireless communication and control frequency bands (2.4 GHz and 5.2 GHz). The design viability was assessed using reflection coefficient and radiation pattern performance parameters. A good agreement was observed between the simulated and measured parameters. This work investigates an antenna sensor solution for future amphibious origami robots with integrated smart sensors. The antenna design and studies were simulated using CST Microwave Studio™.