Antenna-Clothing Outperforms Regular Antennas 70
Zothecula writes with a snippet from Gizmag: "In the recent past, we've seen outfits that incorporate bio-sensors and batteries, and even a bikini with integrated solar cells. One of the latest innovations in smart fabrics, however, allows a person's clothing to act as multiple antennas. Developed at Ohio State University, the system could prove particularly useful to soldiers, who don't want to be encumbered by a protruding whip antenna."
Clarification (Score:2, Interesting)
When the summary refers to a whip antenna, it means a ducky antenna on a handheld radio, as worn on a belt like police tend to do, not the large old style military whip/backpack thing I pictured first, nor do they compare it to a handheld radio held at face level (used without shoulder mic). So, although it makes an improvement over usual law enforcement radio, its not an astonishing discovery by any means, as similar gains can be made by holding the handheld in a usual talking position.
For those with IEEE access:
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org.proxy.lib.clemson.edu/search/srchabstract.jsp?tp=&arnumber=5783293
How can it possibly perform well? (Score:4, Interesting)
Putting a bag of salt water in the near field of an antenna would be expected to increase losses and detune it.