Conformal antennas and antenna arrays (arrays) have become necessary for vehicular communications where a high degree of\r\naerodynamic drag reduction is needed, like in avionics and ships. However, the necessity to conform to a predefined shape (e.g.,\r\nof an aircraft�s nose) directly affects antenna performance since it imposes strict constraints to the antenna array�s shape, element\r\nspacing, relative signal phase, and so forth. Thereupon, it is necessary to investigate counterintuitive and arbitrary antenna shapes\r\nin order to compensate for these constraints. Since there does not exist any available theoretical frame for designing and developing\r\narbitrary-shape antennas in a straightforward manner, we have developed a platformcombining a genetic algorithm-based design,\r\noptimization suite, and an electromagnetic simulator for designing patch antennas with a shape that is not a priori known (the\r\ngenetic algorithm optimizes the shape of the patch antenna). The proposed platform is further enhanced by the ability to design\r\nand optimize antenna arrays and is intended to be used for the design of a series of antennas including conformal antennas for\r\nshipping applications. The flexibility and performance of the proposed platform are demonstrated herein via the design of a highperformance\r\nGPS patch antenna.
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