A cell phone... in your shirt?

New technology incorporates mobile antennas directly into clothing — and greatly improves reception

A prototype antenna can be embroidered into cloth to improve cell phone reception.
(Image credit: Al Zanyk, courtesy of Ohio State University)

People who rely on cell phones sometimes grow nostalgic for the days of phones with external antennas (especially if they own an iPhone 4, which has a history of sketchy reception). And though cell phone technology has made impressive strides in recent years, signal reception remains a problem. That may change with an innovation from Ohio State University researchers, who have found a way to incorporate cell phone antennas directly into clothing using an ordinary sewing machine. Here, a guide to this development:

How does this antenna work?

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