Three Auburn Engineering professors and a graduate student are developing efficient geotextile fabrics with electronic antenna capabilities, and their prototypes are already showing promise. David Elton in civil engineering, Gwen Thomas in polymer and fiber engineering, Lloyd Riggs in electrical engineering and doctoral student Andrew Sivulka are combining their electrical, polymer and fiber engineering expertise to develop metallic antennas that can be embedded in roadways. They will allow for cellular, Wi-Fi and other coverage to reach nearby buildings and vehicles, making it easier for these signals to be found in less accessible areas. Not only are they more cost- and size-efficient than conventional signal towers, but geotextile fabrics implanted in roads are less susceptible to vandalism, terrorism and natural disasters.
