Establishing communications capabilities at disaster sites or in rural regions might be streamlined with a simple portable antenna designed by researchers from the American University of Beirut (Lebanon) and Stanford University.

The bi-stable helix antenna in its satellite (left) and ground crew (right) configurations. Source: Stanford University Reconfigurable & Active Structures Lab

The lightweight, low-power tubular antenna is viewed as an alternative to the labor-intensive deployment of heavy, costly metal dishes. Instead of wires, the helical antenna is composed of strips of a conductive fiber composite material wound together in a helix pattern to form a hollow cylinder. The pattern and power of signals sent by the collapsible device can be adjusted by pulling it into longer or shorter shapes.

The most compact form of the antenna described in Nature Communications presents as a hollow ring that is just over 1 inch tall and about 5 inches across. This design can reach satellites with a high-power signal sent in a particular direction. When stretched out to about a foot tall, the antenna sends a lower power signal in all directions, more like a Wi-Fi router.

Field use will require pairing the antenna with a transceiver to send and receive signals, a ground plane to reflect radio waves, and other electronics. The system would still only weigh about 2 lb and its dual functionality should prove useful in replacing multiple heavier antennas in areas where deployment is a challenge.