An array antenna for millimeter-wave communication and an array antenna for millimeter-wave sensing are designed and put together into one structure. Because millimeter-wave signals become weaker fast with the increasing distance and any kind of error in the required functions of the antenna has to be minimized, pointing error from the target direction should be prevented. The device is a millimeter-wave sensing antenna with high directivity to check the straight link between the TX and RX sides of wireless communication. A 24 GHz 8-by-16 array antenna which generates stronger signals for sensing resolves the drawback of a 28 GHz 1-by-4 array antenna that is commonly seen in 5G wireless terminals. The sensing and communication antennas are integrated as a planar structure mountable on platforms, which is investigated with regard to forming wireless links over a distance of several meters with an input power of less than 0 dBm. Additionally, in the event of a reflecting surface disturbing the straight path and worsening the pointing error in RF signal transfer, the dual-capability of the combination is presented on the basis of intuitive electromagnetic experiments.

As the physical size of a communication system for satellites or unmanned aerial vehicles demands to be reduced, a compact antenna with high directivity is proposed as a core element essential to the wireless device. Instead of using a horn or an array antenna, a unit planar antenna is combined with a surface-modulated lens to convert a low antenna gain to a high antenna gain. The lens is not a metal-patterned PCB but is dielectric, which is neither curved nor very wide. This palm-sized lens comprises pixels with different heights from the backside of PolyPhenylene Sulfide (PPS) as the dielectric base. The antenna gain from the unit antenna of 4.5 cm × 4.5 cm is enhanced by 10 dB with the help of a compact dielectric lens of 7.5 cm × 7.5 cm at 24.5 GHz as the frequency of interest. The antenna design is verified by far-field measurement as well as near-field observation, including sensing a metal object behind a blocking wall by using an RF test bench. Moreover, antenna performance is understood by making a comparison with conventional designs of antennas in terms of directivity and physical sizes.