Experimental results with the UAV-based Antenna Measurement System

A novel far-field antenna pattern measurement system based on a flying test source has been recently published [1]. It exploits a micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) equipped with a continuous-wave RF transmitter and a dipole antenna. In this way, the UAV operates as a far field source which is used to characterize the Antenna Under Test (AUT) on the ground by executing autonomous, constant height flights above it. This solution is suitable to characterize low-frequency antennas and arrays in their operative conditions (with soil ground). The radiation pattern of the AUT is obtained from a post processing procedure whose inputs are the received power at the antenna port and both the UAV position and orientation data [2]. The system demonstrated good performance when measuring the radiation pattern of both VHF and UHF antennas. Several results with reference antennas have been obtained. Further experiments have been performed in the framework of the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) development : on the Aperture Array Verification System (AAVS0) array and the Medicina Array Demonstrator (MAD). Both an overview of the developed system and the most significant results will be presented at the conference. [1]G. Virone, A. M. Lingua, M. Piras, A. Cina, F. Perini, J. Monari, F. Paonessa, O. A. Peverini, G. Addamo, and R. Tascone, "Antenna pattern verification system based on a micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)," IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters, vol. 13, pp. 169-172, Jan 2014. [2]G. Virone, F. Paonessa, O. A. Peverini, G. Addamo, R. Orta, R Tascone, and P. Bolli, "Antenna pattern measurements with a flying far field source (hexacopter)," Proceedings of CAMA 2015, November 16-19 2015, Antibes Juan-les-Pins, France.