Attaching Dozens of Communication and Charging Antennas to Robots for Human Implantation

Published 17 Nov.2021 09:48(KST)

Professors Jang Jae-eun and Choi Ji-woong DGIST Team

Attaching Dozens of Communication and Charging Antennas to Robots for Human Implantation

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] Domestic researchers have developed a micro-sized ultra-small antenna system. It can be used for very small chips or micro robots implanted in the human body, drawing attention to its potential future applications.

The Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) announced on the 17th that the research team led by Professors Jang Jae-eun and Choi Ji-woong developed an ultra-small multi-antenna system for wireless power and signal transmission and reception. By installing multiple micro-sized small antennas that can be used without interference, it is expected to contribute to groundbreaking advancements in cutting-edge technologies such as micro robots or brain-machine interfaces.

Micro-sized antennas are essential technology for developing micro robots, which frequently appear in future societal technologies. They can be applied to independent wireless microelectrode structures in the recently spotlighted brain-machine interface technology. Additionally, wireless pixel design without driving electrodes is possible in displays, providing ultimate stability for flexible devices that bend, enabling the creation of diverse and new technologies.

The research team developed technology that allows multiple micro antennas to operate independently to maximize the applicability of ultra-small size characteristics along with the development of ultra-small micro-sized antennas. They developed a technology to form floating antennas of different shapes in a stacked dual-layer, dramatically increasing selectivity between antennas. The micro antennas developed by the team operate selectively between 1 and 7 GHz and achieved the highest transmission efficiency of 1% to 7% among micro-sized antennas. By eliminating the existing complex and large-area RF matching circuits, the overall system structure was minimized.

Professor Jang said, “The ultra-small micro multi-antenna technology developed through this research is a new core technology in the wireless technology field,” and added, “It is expected to enable the practical use of not only existing wireless devices but also newly emerging concepts of electronic devices.”