BAE develops wearable antennas for improved battlefield connectivity

The technology has been designed to allow soldiers to communicate with their colleagues on the front line without the need for conventional radio whip antennas, which can be conspicuous. They are also said to provide a reduction in weight and therefore enable improved agility. "A system using this technology could improve the situational awareness of a military team as a whole, allowing soldiers to see through the eyes of their team mates in real time," said Jon Pinto, Antennas and Electromagnetics Group Leader at BAE's Advanced Technology Centre. "If one soldier spots a situation, they can alert the team and share what they can see through their helmet mounted camera." The demonstration system, which links with a wrist mounted commercially available touch screen smartphone, utilises its sensors to provide an augmented operational picture, allowing the team to tag objects, such as potential hazards, which will appear highlighted on the phones video image. "Another major advantage of the wearable antenna system is that it is unaffected by the position of the wearer," noted Pinto. "With conventional whip antenna systems, if a soldier has to lie on the ground, the communication between them and that of someone who is standing up can be severely compromised or even lost." BAE is now exploring the potential to incorporate the body worn antennas into the suits of fire fighters for use during search and rescue, for police patrol team members to have the GPS locations of their colleagues and in other hazardous industries such as mining, oil and gas.