Researchers develop paint-on antenna for high-altitude airships

by Donald Melanson, posted Jul 18th 2006 at 3:10PM

A team of researchers from the too-coolly-named Research Triangle Institute recently spent some time in the Nevada desert, catching some much-needed rays, and successfully testing a paint-on antenna for high-altitude airships, which they say opens up new possibilities for surveillance and communication. Not surprisingly, exact details of the system aren't readily available, but the antenna was apparently able to transmit both voice and data links, as well as allow for teleconferencing capabilities. Military and homeland security applications are the biggest draw here, with the airships able to operate well above commercial air traffic and out of the range of most ground-to-air missiles -- although, we've gotta say, blimp-based blanket wireless access still ain't that bad an idea.

[Via Slashdot]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Tags: airship, paint-on antenna, Paint-onAntenna, research triangle institue, ResearchTriangleInstitue, rti

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Neutral

physics @ Jul 18th 2006 4:04PM

wouldn't any sort of conductive paint work?

conductive paint already exists.

Neutral

Ransom @ Jul 18th 2006 4:09PM

paint-on antenna? can i have on for my car? or better yet, maybe i'll just buy a can of antenna paint...i hope in comes in white or brown, so i can paint my whole house and get great satellite tv reception.

Neutral

ChronoZaga @ Jul 18th 2006 4:30PM

I'm goona need more tin foil. Hats will no longer do. I'm goona have to coat my roof.

Neutral

shon @ Jul 18th 2006 4:46PM

prepare for a flood of new UFO sightings. just what coast-to-coast needs.

Neutral

Rusty @ Jul 18th 2006 9:36PM

So it takes them 40 years to rediscover something that NASA did in 1960?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echo_satellite

Yeah, I know it's different now, but still similar ;)

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