Fabric Antenna Invention That Could Turn Roads into Wifi Network

Auburn University in Auburn, Ala., has been assigned a patent developed by four co-inventors for “reinforcement fabrics with electronic transmission capabilities.”

The inventors are three professors, Gwen Thomas, Lloyd Riggs, and David Elton, and Ph.D. graduate, Andrew Sivulka, all from Auburn.

The new fabric design includes metallic antennas and adds transmission capabilities to materials used for other purposes, such as geotextiles. When added to roadbed fabric, these antenna arrays confer the ability to transmit cellular, Wi-Fi, and other signals through the roadbed and into vehicles and surrounding buildings.

In addition to roads, these fabrics could be added to buildings, bridges, or even natural surfaces such as trees.

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