Description
The objective is to design and demonstrate a new class of low-profile and conformal antennas, providing seamless connectivity for 5G services on vehicles.Targeted Improvements:Enabling technology Satellite antennas compatible with the constrains of the automotive markets (in terms of aesthetics, aerodynamics and safety), whilst providing seamless connectivity, are currently not available.Description:The automotive sector is a crucial target group for future 5G systems, as the new standards pursues the goal of integrating mobile communications into vehicles. However, antennas providing seamless connectivity on board of vehicles are not available today, due to many technological and commercial challenges that shall not be addressed in isolation. Antennas for satellite-connected cars can be designed for various frequency bands (e.g., L-, S-, Ku- and/or Ka-Band), require compatibility with terrestrial and other satellite services (e.g., satellite radio and navigation) and must satisfy requirements of the automotive market.This activitywill design a class of low-profile and conformal antennas, following a holistic approach where all main stakeholders (i.e., antennatechnology provider, car manufacturer, satellite/terrestrial operator) are involved in the antenna design. This includes aspect such as:- Selection of at least one use-case and system definition: frequency bands (e.g. S-, Ku-, Ka-Band) satellite type and orbits(e.g. LEO, MEO, GEO and/or HEO) Optimisation of the system architecture, aiming to the automotive antenna simplification.- Selection of a vehicle class and associated environmental and safety constrains Co-design of the antenna/vehicle chassis, where the satellite terminal antenna aperture isembedded in the chassis frame, roof and/or other conformal structure, to guarantee a suitable aperture size and orientation, whilst minimising the impact on the vehicle design and aesthetics.- End-to-end demonstration of the prototype system with two or more vehicles, validating the target use-case(s).