A Flexible, Magnet-Based Miniaturized Low-Frequency Mechanical Antenna Enabling Cross-medium Communication and Collaboration among Unmanned Systems

A Flexible, Magnet-Based Miniaturized Low-Frequency Mechanical Antenna Enabling Cross-medium Communication and Collaboration among Unmanned Systems | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Physical Sciences - Article A Flexible, Magnet-Based Miniaturized Low-Frequency Mechanical Antenna Enabling Cross-medium Communication and Collaboration among Unmanned Systems Xining Zang, Qingang Li, Zhi Cui, Xin Ma, WEI YUE, Ieng Hou U, and 8 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6617078/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 13 Dec, 2025 Read the published version in Communications Engineering → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Extremely low frequency (ELF, 3–30 Hz) signals possess strong cross-medium communication capabilities, making them particularly well-suited for underground and underwater environments. However, traditional low-frequency (LF) transmission systems are large and inefficient, posing significant limitations in practical applications. In recent studies, mechanical antennas have been explored to generate LF signals, but current approaches rely on bulky equipment with limited range, making them unsuitable for personal use or integration into small unmanned devices. To address this challenge, this study introduces a flexible, magnet-based miniaturized LF mechanical antenna, fabricated using 3D printing. The antenna consists of a macro-fiber composite layer and a flexible permanent magnet film, and features an extremely compact volume (<6.8 cm³) and low weight (<50 g). It is also highly flexible, allowing for easy integration into diverse applications. Its transmitted signal can reach 60 m before the magnetic field strength attenuates to 1 pT. Mounted on a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the antenna facilitates reliable communication between quadruped robots operating outside caves and aerial robots located deep within cave interiors, where high-frequency (HF) signals cannot penetrate. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate robust LF cross-medium communication between UAV and ground robots in cave environments, paving the way for unmanned collaboration in scenarios inaccessible to HF wireless signals. Physical sciences/Engineering/Electrical and electronic engineering Physical sciences/Engineering/Mechanical engineering Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files ExtendedDataVideo1Throughgroundtransmissionexperimentanddataprocessingofvoicesignal.mp4 Extended Data Video 1 ExtendedDataVideo2CommunicationandcollaborativeworkofUAVandroboticdoginacave.mp4 Extended Data Video 2 ExtendedDataVideo3Tensiletestandfractureprocessofflexiblepermanentmagnetmaterial.mp4 Extended Data Video 3 Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 13 Dec, 2025 Read the published version in Communications Engineering → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6617078","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Physical Sciences - Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":454320296,"identity":"d686f374-a7f7-4041-bc5a-b7aa0bf8445a","order_by":0,"name":"Xining 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However, traditional low-frequency (LF) transmission systems are large and inefficient, posing significant limitations in practical applications. In recent studies, mechanical antennas have been explored to generate LF signals, but current approaches rely on bulky equipment with limited range, making them unsuitable for personal use or integration into small unmanned devices. To address this challenge, this study introduces a flexible, magnet-based miniaturized LF mechanical antenna, fabricated using 3D printing. The antenna consists of a macro-fiber composite layer and a flexible permanent magnet film, and features an extremely compact volume (\u003c6.8 cm³) and low weight (\u003c50 g). It is also highly flexible, allowing for easy integration into diverse applications. Its transmitted signal can reach 60 m before the magnetic field strength attenuates to 1 pT. Mounted on a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the antenna facilitates reliable communication between quadruped robots operating outside caves and aerial robots located deep within cave interiors, where high-frequency (HF) signals cannot penetrate. 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