MIT creates shape-changing antenna that survives 10,000 bends

MIT researchers have developed a novel shape-changing “meta-antenna” made from auxetic metamaterials—engineered materials whose properties derive from their geometric structure rather than composition. Unlike traditional rigid metal antennas, this flexible antenna can alter its resonance frequency by physically deforming its shape through bending, stretching, or compressing. This adaptability allows one antenna to support multiple wireless protocols, making it suitable for applications such as wearable device energy transfer, augmented reality motion tracking, and wireless communication. The antenna is constructed by sandwiching a laser-cut dielectric rubber layer between conductive layers, with a flexible acrylic coating to enhance durability, enabling it to withstand over 10,000 compressions. Beyond communication, the meta-antenna’s frequency shifts can serve as a novel sensing mechanism to detect physical environmental changes. For instance, prototypes demonstrated the ability to monitor breathing by sensing chest expansion or to adjust smart curtains and headphones based on deformation-induced frequency changes. A smart headphone prototype showed a 2.6% resonance frequency shift