WSU Researchers Develop 3D Printed Antenna Arrays for Flexible Wearable Wireless Systems

WSU researchers created 3D printed antenna arrays with real-time beam stabilization using copper nanoparticle ink.Image Credit:WSU

Washington State University researchers have created chip-sized processors and 3D printed antenna arrays using copper nanoparticle ink, enabling flexible wireless systems for aviation, automotive, and wearable technology applications.

Washington State University-led researchers have developed a breakthrough that could revolutionize wireless communications: chip-sized processors and 3D printed antenna arrays that remain stable even when bent, vibrated, or exposed to harsh environmental conditions. The innovation promises to enable flexible and wearable wireless systems while improving electronic communications across automotive, aviation, and space industry applications.

Reporting in the journal Nature Communications, the research team used 3D printing, specialized processors, and an ink made from copper nanoparticles to create the flexible antenna arrays. The work represents a significant advance in addressing long-standing challenges that have prevented widespread adoption of flexible antenna technology.

"This proof-of-concept prototype paves the way for future smart textiles, drone or aircraft communications, edge sensing, and other rapidly evolving fields that require robust, flexible, and high-performance wireless systems," said Sreeni Poolakkal, co-first author on the paper and a PhD student in WSU's School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Industries such as aviation and automotive sectors have long sought 3D-printed flexible, or conformal, antenna arrays because they could be lighter, smaller, and more adaptable than traditional antenna arrays. Imagine a drone fitted with a complete layer of antennas seamlessly integrated into its structure, or aircraft with communication systems embedded directly into wing surfaces, reported WSU.

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However, significant obstacles have prevented this vision from becoming reality. Because of their materials and manufacturing methods, flexible wireless systems have been prohibitively expensive to produce and haven't performed as well as standard antenna arrays. When they move and bend – such as in wearable electronics or when an airplane wing vibrates – the antennas change shape, causing errors in their signals that compromise communication reliability.

The WSU-led team tackled these challenges head-on using 3D printing and an ink made from copper nanoparticles to create antennas that remain stable when bent or exposed to high humidity, temperature variations, and salt exposure. The team's collaborators from the University of Maryland and Boeing developed the copper nanoparticle-based ink that makes this stability possible.

"The ink is a very important part in additive, or 3D printing," said Subhanshu Gupta, associate professor in the WSU School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and a co-author on the work. "The nanoparticle-based ink developed by our collaborators is actually very powerful in improving the performance for high-end communication circuits like what we're doing."

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Materials innovation alone couldn't solve all the problems. Because precision wireless communication needs significant fidelity, the researchers also developed a processor chip that can correct errant signals from the antenna in real time – a critical capability that sets this work apart from previous attempts at flexible antenna systems, stated WSU.

"We used this processor that we developed to correct for these material deformities in the 3D printed antenna, and it also corrects for any vibrations that we see," said Gupta. "The ability to do that in real time makes it very attractive. We were able to achieve robust, real-time beam stabilization for the arrays, something that was not possible before."

The researchers built and tested a lightweight, flexible array of four antennas that successfully sent and received signals even while the antennas were moving and bending. The small antennas use low power and can easily be scaled, making them ideal for implementation on various devices.

The modular design proves particularly ingenious. Because they're built as tiles, the array design enables construction of larger arrays, with individual processor chips on each tile operating independently, said Gupta. The researchers demonstrated this scalability by assembling four of the antenna arrays to create 16 total antennas – and the architecture supports even larger configurations.

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The implications extend across multiple industries. In aviation, conformal antenna arrays could reduce weight and drag while improving communication capabilities. Aircraft could integrate antennas directly into fuselage or wing surfaces rather than mounting bulky external equipment. For automotive applications, vehicles could embed communication systems into body panels, improving both aesthetics and aerodynamics.

Wearable technology represents another promising frontier. Smart textiles incorporating these flexible antenna arrays could enable clothing that maintains reliable wireless connectivity regardless of how the wearer moves. Medical monitoring devices, fitness trackers, and augmented reality systems could all benefit from antennas that bend and flex with fabric without signal degradation.

The space industry also stands to gain. Satellites and spacecraft face extreme temperature variations, vibrations during launch, and the harsh environment of space. Antenna systems that remain stable under these conditions while reducing weight could improve mission capabilities and reduce launch costs.

The breakthrough required solving problems at multiple levels simultaneously. Creating the right ink formulation, developing the real-time signal correction processor, designing the modular tile architecture, and validating performance under realistic conditions – each component needed to work perfectly for the system to succeed.

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WSU's collaborative approach with the University of Maryland and Boeing exemplifies how academic research partnerships with industry can accelerate practical innovation. Boeing's involvement ensures the technology development considers real-world aerospace requirements, while academic researchers bring fundamental research capabilities and freedom to explore novel approaches.

Whether this prototype can transition from laboratory demonstration to commercial production remains to be seen. Manufacturing at scale, meeting industry certification requirements, and achieving cost targets all present challenges. But the WSU-led team has demonstrated that the fundamental technical barriers can be overcome.