SKY -Perfect JSAT, successful satellite communications with flat antenna

SKY Perfect JSAT announced that it succeeded in large capacity satellite communication using the antenna of Kymeta (Washington State), a planar antenna maker who invested in March. The car with the antenna installed runs through the town, and the video being traveled and the videophone with the passenger are transmitted by satellite communication. We showed the situation at a Tokyo metropolitan interview.

“We would like to sell it in Japan as an emergency communication equipment for emergency vehicles from fiscal 2018.” Mr. Bob Schuman, vice president of business development at Kymeta, is enthusiastic. An octagonal plate shaped antenna keeps track of satellites and communicates while traveling.

The key is the built-in liquid crystal plate. Use liquid crystals to operate in which direction you want the beam to come out. While running I will emit a beam toward the satellite. Sometimes Liquid Crystal can be mass produced easily, Schumann said, “You can lower the price as much as a parabolic antenna.”

Already in the United States it has been introduced to police vehicles in South Carolina. The solar eclipse that was in August pushed the tourists and used it assuming that the communication network of the mobile phone will be punctured. We will sell to emergency vehicles, hospitals and companies as emergency communications at the time of disaster occurrence.

In the future we will also consider using it for automatic driving. Unlike the communication network of mobile phones, it connects even without a base station. It is also an important technology to guarantee a state where communication is always possible. To Kymeta Toyota also invests through the fund. Reduce the trouble of installing the antenna on the ground with a planar antenna, and disseminate satellite communication

Full story at Nikkei.com