Physical reconfiguration of an origami-inspired deployable microstrip patch antenna array

The physical reconfiguration and deployment of a 2×2 corporate-fed microstrip patch antenna array is investigated. The origami-inspired antenna array reconfigures structurally using a Miura-ori fold pattern to deploy to/from a compact folded state from/to a flat state. The impact of folding on the electromagnetic performance is evaluated across a range of physical states to study the impact of physical reconfiguration. In particular, the input impedance and beamforming capabilities are used to characterize the performance as a function of the primary folding parameter. These performance metrics are impacted by a feed network that extends across the folds and the beamforming capabilities that are impacted by the changing element spacing and orientation. Results from simulation and a fabricated structure are provided for a 2.4 GHz design.