The new radio frequency sensor has been successfully developed and can be widely applied in fields such as unmanned aircraft.

Dalian, October 22, Liaoning Daily (Reporter Wu Lin) As the "perception center" of the unmanned aerial vehicle system, the radio frequency sensor undertakes multiple tasks such as target detection and identification, positioning and tracking, as well as early warning and countermeasures. It is the key support for the upgrade of unmanned aerial vehicles from "simple flight" to "intelligent operation". Recently, the unmanned aerial vehicle skin ultra-thin integrated radio frequency sensor developed by the research team of Dalian University of Technology was successfully test-flown at the Pucheng Test Flight Center in Shaanxi Province. This marks an important step forward for China's full 3D printing technology of curved antennas towards practical application, providing a new solution for the lightweight and high-integration of unmanned aerial vehicle communication equipment. The related achievements were published in the engineering and chemical and chemical engineering journals.

RF sensors not only need to accurately transmit reconnaissance and communication signals, but also need to fit the curved shape of the aircraft body. For a long time, traditional flat sensors have been large in size and heavy in weight. They not only occupy the internal space of the aircraft but also have problems such as poor adaptation to large curvatures and weak inter-layer bonding strength, which are prone to cracking, seriously restricting the performance improvement of unmanned aircraft.

Wang Yuhang, a student from the Chemical Engineering College of Dalian University of Technology, discovered during an experiment that the traditional pressing technology could not achieve both "complete surface adhesion" and "stable service throughout the entire cycle". The problem lay in the fact that the base material resin had high electromagnetic loss and poor interface bonding force with the conductive metal. Based on the school's previous technical accumulation, under the guidance of Chinese Academy of Engineering academician Jian Xigao, the team members pioneered a low dielectric molecular structure design method and developed a polyarylether photopolymer resin containing various fluorine structures. The team also developed a new type of radio frequency antenna that could "seamlessly integrate" with the skin of unmanned aircraft. The results have been tested and verified by relevant institutions of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation and China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation.

It is known that the signal transmission efficiency of the radio frequency sensor developed based on this technology exceeds 95%. Compared with traditional products, it has achieved a doubling of performance gain. It can stably receive signals within a 50-kilometer line of sight and can be widely applied in radio frequency communication fields such as unmanned aircraft, ships, and ultra-high-speed aircraft.

"Guangming Daily" (October 23, 2025, Page 08)