transmissions

A Bendable, Stretchable, Shape-Shifting Antenna

New technology adds flexibility to wireless communications, and can passively monitor the integrity of bridges and other structures

The large antennas that used to be part of our everyday lives -- atop the TV, on the boom box, telescoping into the bricklike handsets of our first cordless phones -- have largely been re-engineered over the past two decades to live inside our devices. But the malleable copper and other metals used in standard antennas are somewhat restricting; they can only be bent and straightened so many times before they break.

[ Read Full Story ]



Download Our iPhone App

Stay up to date on the latest news of the future of science and technology from your iPhone with full articles, images and offline viewing



Follow Us On Twitter

Featuring every article from the magazine and website, plus links from around the Web. Also see our PopSci DIY feed



Become a Fan On Facebook

Share links with friends, comment on stories and more


December 2009: Best of What's New

In our December issue, Popular Science names the 100 best innovations of the year: bombproof wallpaper, self-parking cars, the fastest helicopter, and 97 more. Plus inventor profiles and videos.

Check out the best of what's new here.

Popular Science Photo Pool


Share your photos in the Pop Sci pool at www.flickr.com!
tags_sprite.png
POP_embeddedForm_cover_May09.jpg