Curved UWB antenna said to be most compact

EE Times has published an article on a curved UWB antenna which it is claimed results in a 2.5-fold reduction in the size of an ultrawideband antenna

Compact antennas are usually one-quarter the length of the wavelength being transmitted, but Virgina Tech engineers are claiming a 2.5-fold reduction in the size of an ultrawideband antenna.

The compact UWB antenna (CUA) has a curved multi-element shape twisting around the inside of a spherical shape with a diameter just one-tenth that of the wavelength being transmitted.

"We needed to know how to build an UWB antenna that came close to the size limit, and the CUA invention has accomplished this by fully utilizing the volume of a specified diameter," said Virginia Tech engineering professor Warren Stutzman.

The CUA's shape seems to extend along the length of individual antenna elements, longer than its diameter appears, then twisting around the inside of its radome, or protective housing.

Full details of the antenna including a photograph are at:
http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/
showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210603887