Liquid-Based Reconfigurable Antenna Technology: Recent Developments, Challenges and Future

Abu Bakar, Habshah; Abd Rahim, Rosemizi; Soh, Ping Jack; Akkaraekthalin, Prayoot

doi:10.3390/s21030827

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Liquid-Based Reconfigurable Antenna Technology: Recent Developments, Challenges and Future

Habshah Abu Bakar

¹,

Rosemizi Abd Rahim

^2,*

Ping Jack Soh

^2,3

and

Prayoot Akkaraekthalin

^4,*

Department of Electrical Engineering, Politeknik Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah, Jitra 06000, Kedah, Malaysia

Faculty of Electronic Engineering Technology, Pauh Putra Campus, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Pauh 02600, Perlis, Malaysia

Advanced Communication Engineering (ACE) Centre of Excellence, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Kangar 01000, Perlis, Malaysia

⁴

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB), 1518 Pracharat 1 Rd., Wongsawang, Bangsue, Bangkok 10800, Thailand

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Academic Editors: Andrea Randazzo and Halim Boutayeb

Sensors 2021, 21(3), 827; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21030827

Received: 8 December 2020 / Revised: 8 January 2021 / Accepted: 19 January 2021 / Published: 26 January 2021

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antenna Design and Sensors for Internet of Things)

Abstract

Advances in reconfigurable liquid-based reconfigurable antennas are enabling new possibilities to fulfil the requirements of more advanced wireless communication systems. In this review, a comparative analysis of various state-of-the-art concepts and techniques for designing reconfigurable antennas using liquid is presented. First, the electrical properties of different liquids at room temperature commonly used in reconfigurable antennas are identified. This is followed by a discussion of various liquid actuation techniques in enabling high frequency reconfigurability. Next, the liquid-based reconfigurable antennas in literature used to achieve the different types of reconfiguration will be critically reviewed. These include frequency-, polarization-, radiation pattern-, and compound reconfigurability. The current concepts of liquid-based reconfigurable antennas can be classified broadly into three basic approaches: altering the physical (and electrical) dimensions of antennas using liquid; applying liquid-based sections as reactive loads; implementation of liquids as dielectric resonators. Each concept and their design approaches will be examined, outlining their benefits, limitations, and possible future improvements. View Full-Text

Keywords: reconfigurable antennas; liquid antennas; liquid actuation techniques

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Abu Bakar, H.; Abd Rahim, R.; Soh, P.J.; Akkaraekthalin, P. Liquid-Based Reconfigurable Antenna Technology: Recent Developments, Challenges and Future. Sensors 2021, 21, 827. https://doi.org/10.3390/s21030827

AMA Style

Abu Bakar H, Abd Rahim R, Soh PJ, Akkaraekthalin P. Liquid-Based Reconfigurable Antenna Technology: Recent Developments, Challenges and Future. Sensors. 2021; 21(3):827. https://doi.org/10.3390/s21030827

Chicago/Turabian Style

Abu Bakar, Habshah, Rosemizi Abd Rahim, Ping J. Soh, and Prayoot Akkaraekthalin. 2021. "Liquid-Based Reconfigurable Antenna Technology: Recent Developments, Challenges and Future" Sensors 21, no. 3: 827. https://doi.org/10.3390/s21030827

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Author Biographies

Rosemizi Abd Rahim

Rosemizi Abd Rahim received a Diploma in Electrical Engineering from the Institut Teknologi Mara, Malaysia (1997), B.Eng. in Electrical from the Universiti Teknologi Mara, Malaysia (2000), an M.Sc. degree in Electronic System Design Engineering from the Universiti Sains Malaysia (2004), and his Ph.D. in Communication Engineering from the Universiti Malaysia Perlis (2013). From 2000 to 2004, he was a failure analysis engineer at a multinational electronic manufacturing company in Penang, Malaysia. Then, since 2005 he was with the Universiti Malaysia Perlis as an academic. Currently, he is a Associate Professor at the Faculty of Electronic Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis. His research interest includes the design, analysis and development of new sources of energy harvesting systems and techniques, antenna design and propagation and microwave heating. He is registered as a Professional Engineer (Electrical) at Board of Engineer Malaysia, Profesional Technologist (Electrical and Electronic) at Malaysia Board of Technologist, Certified Energy Manager from ASEAN Energy Management Scheme and Registered Electrical Energy Manager at Malaysia Energy Commission.

Ping Jack Soh

Ping Jack Soh was born in Sabah, Malaysia. He received the bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering (Telecommunication) from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in 2002 and 2006, respectively, and the PhD degree in electrical engineering from KU Leuven, Belgium in 2013. He is currently an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Electronic Engineering Technology, UniMAP, and a Research Affiliate at KU Leuven, Belgium. Prior to that, he was a Test Engineer in Venture Corp. from 2002 to 2004, and an R&D Engineer Motorola Solutions Malaysia in 2005. From 2006, he joined UniMAP as a Lecturer, and served as the Deputy Director of the Centre for Industrial Collaboration (CIC) between 2007 and 2009. He went on leave from UniMAP in 2009 to pursue his PhD in KU Leuven, Belgium. He was first a Research Assistant (2009-2013), then a Postdoctoral Research Fellow (2013-2014) and is currently a Research Affiliate in the ESAT-TELEMIC Research Division. Upon his return to UniMAP in 2014 as a Senior Lecturer, he concurrently served as the Deputy Dean of the university's Research Management and Innovation Center (RMIC) between 2014 and 2017. He was also the Head of the Advanced Communication Engineering (ACE) Research Centre, UniMAP in 2020. He researches actively in his areas of interest: wearable antennas; pico-satellite antennas; flexible metasurfaces; on-body communication, electromagnetic safety, and absorption; and wireless and radar techniques for healthcare applications.

Prayoot Akkaraekthalin

Prayoot Akkaraekthalin (M’98) received B.Eng. and M.Eng. degrees in electrical engineering from the King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB), Bangkok, Thailand, in 1986 and 1990, respectively, and a Ph.D. degree from the University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA, in 1998. From 1986 to 1988, he was a Research and Development Engineer with Microtek Co., Ltd., Thailand. In 1988, he joined the Department of Electrical Engineering, KMUTNB. His current research interests include RF/microwave circuits, wideband and multiband antennas, telecommunications, and sensor systems. He has authored or coauthored over 40 international journals, more than 200 conference papers, and four books/book chapters. He was the Editor-in-Chief for the ECTI Transactions, from 2011 to 2013. He is a member of the IEICE Japan, ECTI, and EEAAT Associations Thailand. He was the Chairman of the IEEE MTT/AP/ED Thailand Joint Chapter, from 2007 to 2010, and the Vice President and President of the ECTI Association, Thailand, from 2012 to 2013 and from 2014 to 2015, respectively. He is now the leader of TRF Senior Research Scholar Project of “Innovative Sensor Technology for Thailand Development” granted by the Thailand Research Fund, Thailand.

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Liquid-Based Reconfigurable Antenna Technology: Recent Developments, Challenges and Future

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