Investigation of waveguide effects in intra-vehicular environments

Supporting intra-vehicular sensing using wireless communication is beneficial for eliminating wires and saving costs. The traditional approach is using transmit and receive antennas radiating into the car´s open space. Radiated signals are exposed to strong fading due to shadowing and the dynamic nature of the wireless channel. Preliminary experimental observations of the feasibility of propagating a signal over the surface of the car lead to the motivation of the present work. Simulations using CST microwave studio is used to determine the level of wave propagation through a layer of paint and compared to experimental results. A study has been performed for analyzing the surface wave hypothesis at different frequencies.