Actively Pointed Antenna

Nomad uses a special directional antenna, that only broadcasts in one direction to help solve this problem. Since it only uses power to send in the direction it wants to, it can send information further. The directional antenna on Nomad uses a special compass and a global positioning system (GPS) to determine where it is and what direction it needs to broadcast to. As Nomad travels over bumps and rocks, it's antenna stays precisely pointed to the reciever. This allows for the stronger signal which is needed to transmit images from the panospheric camera.

Want to see how it works? Try it yourself...

Now, take your hands away from your mouth and say your name again. Did your voice sound different the second time?

When your hands were cupped around your mouth the sound you made was focused in the direction you were facing. When you took your hands away from your mouth, the sound spread out in all directions more quickly. So, with your hands cupped around your mouth, your voice will go farther and be louder.

The Actively Pointed Antenna...in Sports Have you ever watched cheerleaders shout a cheer? Did they use anything to magnify their voices? If you watched carefully, you probably saw the cheerleaders use a megaphone. This cone shaped device works much like the actively pointed antenna, and helps the cheerleaders to be heard all the way in the back of the stands and across the football field or basketball court.