Fractal Antenna: What's New

FLYING HIGH

Team FRACTAL is developing wideband, featherweight, conformal antenna for the next generation of UAV’s. Testing them is half the fun!

Fractal's UAV Test Chamber

BODY WORN ANTENNAS GET REAL CLOSE

Our new fractal ‘Stickems’ ™ use our proprietary wideband technology to make sure that closeness to the body doesn’t stop the antennas from working. We are experts on countering/working with the effects of human proximity on antennas, and our lessons learned apply across the board from on-body to smartphones.

WHO’S ON FIRST? TEAM FRACTAL! FRACTAL ADDS CORNERSTONE TO PATENT PORTFOLIO

It took 15 years, but patent 7,750,856 makes it crystal clear who invented fractal element antennas and who owns them. Read Dr. Cohen’s account of the first fractal antenna, built in 1988 and inspired by a conference talk by Dr. Benoit Mandlebrot.

TEAM FRACTAL Summer Interns

FRACTAL welcomes Summer 2010 Student Interns from Cornell, Vanderbilt, UMass-Lowell, and Stanford Universities. Our interns will focus on no-profile wideband antennas; lab procedures and measurements; fractal metamaterials; and business development.

FRACTAL’S Summer 2010 Interns

FRACTAL’S LICENSE ROLL-UPS (LRU’s) PICKING UP SPEED

Since TEAM FRACTAL’s rollout of ‘Design to Licensing’ (DTL) on fractal antennas, companies large and small have discovered the value of rolling together our design services with a non-exclusive license to include the FRACTAL ADVANTAGE on their project’s circuit boards. We call it a ‘license roll-up’ (LRU). In these times of customers’ strained in-house development resources, FRACTAL won’t leave you high and dry trying to figure out the antenna design yourself! Drop Jane Winter a line and see how this can work for you: jwinter@fractenna.com

It looks like it came from Batman’s utility belt, but it’s one serious wideband
antenna. Stay tuned for the FRACTAL Stick’em! (USP Patent 7345642)

HAM RADIO AND METAMATERIALS - A CONNECTION?

Some folks say ham radio’s days have past, but today’s leaders in wireless technology often share this common pastime and public service. Honoring our ham radio colleagues, and the hidden history and latest developments behind metamaterials, CEO and ham op Nathan Cohen will be giving a talk on ‘From Ham Radio Origins: the Weird World of Metamaterials’ at the New England ‘Boxboro’ Ham Convention on August 28. Drop by for an “eyeball QSO”!

SUMMER SAVINGS ARE HOT ON FRACTAL’s UACM WIDEBAND ANTENNA

From now until Labor Day, enjoy great savings on the ‘gold standard’ UACM antenna- the choice of integrators for indoor wireless and DAS apps across the world. Cost per unit as low as $170. That replaces thousands of $$$$ in multiple antenna and component systems! Contact Jane Winter at jwinter@fractenna.com for a quote on your latest project or bid.

Looking for Information on metacloak?

Information and data on Metacloak™ technologies is available now and periodically (no pun!) updated. All of FRACTAL’s fractal metamaterial info is on www.metacloak.net (Note: Metacloak™ is a registered trademark of Fractal Antenna Systems, Inc.) You’ll find the metacloak™ antennas and invisibility cloak materials there. If you have a ‘how did you do it?’ question, please send to fractalcloak@aol.com. All metacloak™ business queries are handled through jwinter@fractenna.com. Thanks!

FRACTAL’S EXPANDING DESIGN-TO-LICENSE (DTL)

FRACTAL is enjoying rapid growth in its ‘design-to-license’ program, where we customize our patented technology for your application, for licensing in large quantities. This is in addition to our standard option of a vended solution, or existing product, giving our customers full versatility.

FRACTAL is the patent holder on the key IP for fractal element antennas and related technologies, with broad and far reaching claims, for example, with patents 6,452,553 and 7,256,751. This makes us the friendly but singular ‘go-to’ guys for all fractal-related solutions. As inventors say: ‘the claims are only as good as the claims’. FRACTAL’s got the claims! Call us for your antenna-related solution.

WALL OF FAME—FRACTAL’s IP portfolio steadily grows, with the fundamental and broad patents (plaques shown here) held on fractal antennas; fractal resonators and metamaterials; and ancillary electronics.

EXTENDED SPRING SAVINGS ON “GOLD STANDARD” UACM ANTENNA

A record April will carry over to 15 May for special pricings on our UACM antenna for indoor wireless. Hurry as we finalize the latest lots with our component suppliers. Call Jane Winter at 781-275-2300 x09.

COMING PRODUCT THIS SUMMER - RezChip™ SYNTONY COMPONENTS™

It’s a tiny chip making a part-less tuned circuit. That makes it ideal as a loading component to turn your wireless device into an antenna. Why buy an antenna when you already have the ground plane? One tiny chip - a RezChip™ - does the trick - wideband or custom multiband.

THREE NEW PATENTS ISSUED - MANY TO MORE TO COME!

The last few weeks have reaped three new US patents (7659862; 7701396; 7705798) for FRACTAL, a carry-through of management’s assertion of value of FRACTAL as a technology company. Notes CEO Nathan Cohen: “We anticipate upwards of a dozen new issued patents in the next two years and have some fundamental, breakthrough surprises with recent patents pending.”

WDB ANTENNA - POWERFUL NEW ANTENNA FOR EW

Shaped like a tiny, skinny dumbbell, FRACTAL’s new WDB antenna for UHF + provides high power and omni coverage in an unusually small form factor. If you’ve got the need we’ve got the info. Drop an e-mail to Chip at ncohen@fractenna.com

FRACTALS… FIELD OF A THOUSAND USES

Recent new business highlights how broadly our technologies enable the commercial wireless world. A typical day may have new designs for: aerospace; wireless audio; medical telemetry; robotics; surveillance; hand held devices; pagers; RFID; public service; EC backbone; indoor wireless; and many others. Fifteen years of proprietary design leads to attacking tough application challenges with the experience to solve antenna problems that are: wideband; hidden; smaller; and high performance. If you have an antenna challenge, give us a call: Jane Winter at 781-275-2300 x09.

SPRING FEVER FOR UACMs

You heard the rumor—and it’s true. Special savings on our “gold standard” UACM antenna for indoor wireless during the month of April. If you haven’t heard from Jane Winter yet, check with her at: 781-275-2300 x09.

FRACTAL METAMATERIALS –INCREDIBLE SHRINKING LP

The log periodic dipole array is one of the best known antennas, with a characteristic arrowhead shape. FRACTAL found a way to shrink it with our proprietary metafractal™ technology. How much? Upwards of 45%, with little if any performance degradation. Have a need to know? Check in with TEAM FRACTAL via Chip, our CEO: ncohen@fractenna.com.

FRACTALS ON YOUTUBE

Coming Soon! TEAM FRACTAL hits the silver screen with some amazing and fascinating videos that both showcase our antenna and metamaterial technologies and are fun to watch. Are you skeptical about fractal antennas and fractal metamaterials? Do you enjoy technology at the cutting edge? Come see the data, live and uncut.

NEW PATENTS EXTEND OUR FRACTAL TECHNOLOGY TROVE

As a technology company, FRACTAL innovates by creating new inventions to solve tough problems. New additions include the hot-off-the-patent press: 7,659,862 and two others issuing imminently. These further cement FRACTAL’s unique and proprietary IP stance from the creators and owners of fractal antenna and related technologies.

Fractal Metamaterials Under Contract

FRACTAL has won its first bona fide metamaterial contract, mere months after it publicly announced the availability of the new technology. A defense related application, the antenna design is a fractal antenna augmented by metamaterials, also made of fractals. The antenna is a much smaller design with comparable performance to a conventional one.

Record New Orders on UACM's

Fueled by price reductions with our flagship indoor wireless product, the UACM set a new orders record in Q4. Leveraging the pleasing form factor with unprecedented wideband coverage, the UACM has quickly established itself as a standard in the industry.

Third Anechoic Range Added

FRACTAL added a third anechoic range to its development antenna laboratory in Waltham, MA. Designed for 700 MHz on up, the new facility frees up a logjam on FRACTAL's main anechoic chamber.

The new chamber is modular and can be reconfigured in a matter of minutes. It also allows the engineers instant access for real-time measurement and design tweaking. Notes CEO Nathan Cohen: "Paradoxically, chamber manufacturers make their boxes so that they are great for testing but awkward for tweaking. The new chamber makes it easy to implement antenna and array design mods in real-time, rather than schlepping stuff in and out to the bench on a repetitive basis."

"Clearly the additional testing access will improve productivity and allow for the greater throughput we need with our increasing customer base in 2010", remarked Cohen.

FRACTAL NOW ON "SCIENCE TREK" ON PBS

Fractal Antenna Systems and our CEO Nathan Cohen are featured on the new TV show "Science Trek" now playing nationwide on PBS. Discussing the inspiration of science fiction; metamaterials and cloaking; and how new technologies are adopted, Dr. Cohen paints an interesting view of a future where fractal metamaterials render 'surfaces' into collections of useful things. Just a wall, ceiling or a door? Not for long!

UASM: Flat and Wideband and Now at a Great Price

Following the terrific reception for the price break on our wideband indoor wireless product the UACM, we are happy to announce price breaks on its sister product, the UASM. Systems Integrators, why not give Jane Winter a call for quote?

METACLOAK™ MONOPOLE—COMING SOON!

Fractal is proud to announce that the first major matematerial product is scheduled for launch early next year. We'll keep you posted.

VISIT METACLOAK.NET For Our Fractal Metamaterial Happenings

Many exciting new things have been happening on the fractal metamaterial front—and we've had trouble breaking away to report them. But have no fear: we'll get them out, especially those videos!

ARE WE HIRING?

FRACTAL welcomes resumes from qualified applicants for two new jobs when posted. Check our jobs site periodically to see what we are looking for.

FRACTAL METAMATERIAL ANTENNAS - METACLOAK™ -
LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN!

FRACTAL announced on 5 October 2009 its revolutionary new antenna technology. Check it out on www.metacloak.net !

UACM - The CLASSIC PUBLIC SAFETY ANTENNA - SUCH A DEAL!

We’ve passed on economies of scale on our flagship indoor wireless antenna. Check out the savings.

FRACTAL ANTENNA’ s METAMATERIALS ON TELEVISION AND VIDEO

FRACTAL will be featured, again, on a new network television show to be broadcast around or after Thanksgiving 2009. Stay tuned! Also, we will have our videos on our metacloak™ technology up on Youtube about that time. Vu on!

NEW! - FRACTAL'S CATALOG FOR MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT

The world's leader in wideband and covert antenna solutions has a new catalog, available 17 September. In it you'll find the state of the art for antennas - dismounted, vehicular, fixed, and man-pack. See why we say: "we're years ahead!". DOD and USG queries only. Happy to help with pre-release queries.
CONTACT: Jane Winter 781-275-2300 x06.

FRACTAL'S RAPIQUIP™ ASSEMBLY-- NOW IN FULL-FORCE

Fractal is pleased to announce the implementation of its RAPIQUIP™ processing for moderate–sized order lot sizes. For selected defense and commercial customers, FRACTAL is now able to achieve parts procurement, final assembly, quality testing, and shipping - quickly - all within our home facility. Leveraging the talents of US vendors and contract manufacturers, FRACTAL is proud to serve the needs of our customers in this way, while helping our US based support partners at the same time.

FRACTAL Celebrates Its 15th Year

Fractal Antenna Systems is now celebrating its 15th year! What began as a humble garage-based startup has grown to become the world leader in antenna innovation—and the pioneer in fractal electronics and metamaterial applications. Committed and moving forward, join us as we continue our growth with the fascinating field of fractals!

Fractal CEO Invited Speaker at Printed Electronics USA

Fractal Antenna Systems' Nathan Cohen will be an invited speaker at the December Printed Electronics USA 2009 Conference in San Jose CA.

Printed Electronics USA (http://www.idtechex.com/printedelectronicsusa09/en/) is the world's largest conference dealing with the use of printed circuits and their uses. Innovative needs, methods, and technology applications have caused an explosive growth in that market, with continued growth forecasted despite the economic downturn.

CEO Cohen will be speaking on the prospects for practical uses of metamaterials in printed electronics. The firm's announcements earlier in the year, on the successful use of fractals as metamaterials, lead the way to near-term applications of the 'metafractal™' technology. This paves the path for taking metamaterials out of the scientists' labs and into the hands of consumers, government, and other end-users.

Notes Cohen: "We are no longer decades away from 'killer apps' for metamaterials. The issues are mainly business ones—who needs the technology; what new uses will it enable? As a scientist by training, I understand that forecasting fantastic futures from new discoveries is fun, but making those happen is the technologist’s challenge." Cohen will report applications for the metafractal™ technology in a variety of enabling applications including: energy; telecommunications; RFID; computers; healthcare; defense; and other arenas.

Fractal Floating in Sea of Foam

For two weeks in early June, Fractal Antenna Systems floated in a sea of blue-wedgie anechoic foam. All three of its chambers and testing platforms have now been re-foamed for better performance and accuracy in measurements. Fractal now has capabilities from 200MHz - 8GHz in its laboratory area, with several separate and versatile testing positions. Outside capabilities continue from MF on up. We are enjoying our new Quiet Zones.

A Big Hit at Harvard

On 15 April, FRACTAL's CEO gave an invited Harvard University seminar at the Center for Nanoscale Systems on: "Small, Wide, and See-Thru: Adventures in Practical Fractals and Life on the Tortuous Path". Attended by students, researchers and engineers, the seminar presented, for the first time outside of FRACTAL's lab, data from the world's first wideband invisibility cloak, a FRACTAL invention. Emphasizing the fascinating tale of fractal antennas, the seminar also highlighted the marriage of fractal resonators to antennas, with a live demonstration on how fractal metamaterials open up new arenas for fractal antenna design and unique performance attributes.

Cohen, previously a research assistant at Harvard, pointed out how many of his ideas in science first incubated at Harvard's Cruft Laboratory, just step away from the seminar.

Fractal Antenna Featured on NOVA

Dr. Nathan Cohen, CEO of Fractal Antenna Systems, Inc. is featured on the new NOVA show:”Hunting the Hidden Dimension”. The show is a fascinating romp through the emerging field of fractal applications to explain nature—and build exciting new technologies. Dr. Benoit Maldelbrot, the father of fractal geometry, tells his extraordinary story of insight and scorn by colleagues, now to see whole fields of science and technology embracing fractals as the tool they need to make better sense of nature and technology.

Dr. Cohen recounts his invention of fractal element antennas in the 80’s, based on a conference meeting with Dr. Mandelbrot. From then, fractal antennas took a spring board to smaller antennas, keen insight into Maxwell’s equations—and wideband antennas. The whole show is educational and fun. See your local PBS station for showings, or www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/fractals/ for video streaming.