About a month ago, I posted about the strange structures and patterns found in the Gobi Desert in China. I suggested that the patterns might be fractal antennas. Well, not to pat myself on the back--but I think I will *pat*pat*-- it turns out that an expert on fractals thinks the same. From Business Wire:
But Fractal Antenna Systems’ Nathan Cohen knows exactly what they are: fractal screens. “Built of RF reflective paint, to radar they can be blindingly bright. Presumably they were built by China to hide, shield and/or protect stuff underground from radar or extreme radiation,” said Cohen. “We should call them ‘Gobi Screens’.”
Cohen, an astronomer and physicist, dismisses the explanation that the Gobi Screens are optical test patterns for satellites. “They wouldn’t provide any ability to calibrate on the meter size scale and corrections needed, and the multiple air strips in the area provide better test patterns optically. In fact, the airstrips have finer detail. Putting a Chinese-made digital camera on a balloon or satellite can give crisp imaging that doesn’t need some huge, weird test pattern.”
Cohen explains that the intricate designs are deliberately exploiting fractals (complex shapes built up from scaled structural properties) to make fractal resonators as lower frequency radio wave screens, that have key advantages over other types of designs, such as a filled-in square. “And there is a fill-in square there too,” observed Cohen, “They obviously tried it out first.
“The screen may try to prevent ground penetrating radar from seeing deep under the sand, or maybe it’s being used to check their own limitations. That’s the limit of my interest, which is to say the Chinese have obviously ‘reinvented’ technology that I created and invented some twenty-odd years ago. I spent little bucks to innovate. They spent maybe $100 million to imitate. FRACTAL holds the patents on it, and I am using the term ‘reinvention’ to be kind. An amusing way to look at it is being ripped-off ---on a gigantic scale.”
Cohen adds that he does not inform Chinese researchers of his work, much of it published up to 16 years ago, but based on their recently published research the Chinese have embraced fractal antennas and fractal resonators research with focus and vast resources. The Gobi Screens are thus one of many examples, according to Cohen.
On smaller scales, fractal resonators, fractal metamaterials, and fractal antennas are experiencing a boom in uses in the commercial wireless world, offered exclusively through Fractal Antenna Systems. “The fractal advantage is now getting wide acceptance—even in the remote Gobi desert,” noted Cohen.
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