Beamforming in intelligent randomly distributed sensor networks using electrically-small dual-sector antennas for planetary exploration

Dependence on a small set of surface rovers for surface and atmospheric exploration exposes missions to higher than acceptable probabilities of failure. To mitigate this situation, we have developed enabling technology for small, low power, low cost sensors that can be scattered from multiple orbiters or secondary craft and form networks. Since antenna size is expected to determine wireless sensor feasibility, an electrically small dual-sector antenna is developed which gives 100 MHz of 2:1 VSWR bandwidth from 2.61 GHz 2.71 GHz while occupying only 4 cm³. Sixteen of these antennas are placed randomly on a flat ground plane to determine the ability of the antenna network to transmit and receive data cooperatively from multiple angles. Performance is gauged by taking bit error rate measurements for various numbers of elements and angles. The beamforming algorithm presented is capable of establishing reliable communications regardless of relative positions and orientations of individual sensors