Advancements in Automotive Antennas

Today's production vehicles are fitted with a multitude of antennas to facilitate communication and enable a moving vehicle to connect with the outside world. Recent years have seen the introduction of new electronic devices to the automotive environment. These devices are usually designed to aid the driver, increase safety, or enhance the driving experience, and many of them rely on wireless communication to perform their task. Antennas are a necessary part of any wireless communication system, enabling transmission and reception of signals in free-space. At the same time, automobile manufacturers have been seeking to create cost effective, fuel efficient vehicles with attractive styling. This leads to a focus on sleek, lightweight vehicles with reduced aerodynamic drag and improved styling an emphasis that would naturally conflict with fitment of traditional antennas. These market preferences, along with the technological factors, have combined in the past few years to drive significant innovation in the world of vehicular antennas. In this chapter, we review the basics of antennas and radiation and examine the frequencies and services which are commonly used in the automotive environment. We will briefly discuss the antennas traditionally used on vehicles, and then detail the recent developments and trends in automotive antenna research.