Case Study: Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos develops world’s smallest TV antenna and cuts design time by 60% with Altair FEKO

Using Altair FEKO to Facilitate Development of the World’s Smallest TV Antenna

Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) and its Center for Research in Engineering and Applied Sciences (CIICAp), led by Dr. Margarita Tecpoyotl-Torres, set out to design low-cost, lightweight antennas for TV reception and automotive GPS use to bring reliable signals to remote and indoor locations. Facing the challenge of miniaturizing conventional Yagi arrays while maintaining signal stability and affordability, the team used Altair’s FEKO simulation software to model and optimize novel antenna geometries and materials.

Using Altair’s FEKO, UAEM developed the world’s smallest TV antenna (11 cm × 7 cm × 6.5 mm, 12 g uncoated / 80 g coated) that picked up 68 signals in California and 28 digital signals in Mexico City, earned a 2015 patent, and spawned the spin-off INNTECVER, S.A. de C.V. FEKO and the HyperWorks suite also enabled a GPS roof antenna replacement (tested against a Garmin unit) and cut design time by about 60%, accelerating prototype development and reducing costs—demonstrating Altair’s simulation impact on commercialization.

Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos

Margarita Tecpoyotl-Torres

Professor