A parasitic antenna array for directive multi-hop sensor communication

Due to the strict size and power constraints of wireless sensor nodes, the design of a compact and energy efficient antenna module with adaptive directive gains is an extremely crucial problem. Conventional solutions are often prohibitive for such applications, as they require multiple radio-frequency (RF) chains that increase dramatically the hardware complexity and the power consumption. Motivated however by the benefits of adaptive antennas, which reflect to significant performance gains in a sensor network, this paper proposes an alternative design with pattern-switching ability, built on parasitic antenna elements that overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks. Indeed, it will be shown that the proposed compact antenna design might be a strong candidate for small-sized sensor nodes with low power constraints, since it requires a single RF chain and provides high directive gain. This implies remarkable hardware and energy savings, but without compromising the performance gains of the sensor network.