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SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT
Notch has introduced the MAGIC series, a family of software-defined metamaterial antennas developed for drones, vehicles, ground stations, and other wireless platforms.
The systems are designed as upgrades for conventional omnidirectional antennas, which remain widely used because of their simplicity, low cost, and ease of integration. However, omni antennas radiate RF energy in every direction simultaneously, which can create limitations in congested, long-range, and interference-heavy operating environments.
The MAGIC series addresses those challenges through electronically reconfigurable metamaterial structures capable of shaping and steering RF energy across 360 degrees of azimuth coverage. The systems are designed to provide directional-link benefits without the size, weight, power, and cost burdens associated with traditional phased-array hardware.
The current product lineup includes two configurations designed for different operational requirements. MAGIC WIZARD is intended for ground stations, vehicles, and fixed installations, while MAGIC ELF is designed for smaller unmanned aircraft where size, weight, and power constraints are more significant.
According to Notch, MAGIC WIZARD weighs approximately 700 g, consumes less than 600 mW of power, and can provide more than twice the effective range of a standard omni antenna. MAGIC ELF weighs approximately 250 g and is designed for payload-constrained drone platforms requiring improved link performance without major RF system upgrades.
Both systems are designed to work with existing radios and standard RF interfaces while requiring minimal system integration.
Shahriar Khushrushahi, Founder and CEO of Notch, commented, “We’ve spent decades optimizing radios, but the antenna, the first point of contact with the RF environment, has remained mostly static hardware. We are turning it into a software-defined system that can be configured, updated, and improved over time.”
The MAGIC series is part of a broader software-defined metamaterials roadmap in which software updates continue refining antenna patterns and performance over time. Future developments for the MAGIC line will include expanded ISM-band coverage as well as a lighter WIZARD-class variant intended for Group 1 UAV applications where payload weight remains a key consideration.
Notch is also developing additional software-defined metamaterial products scheduled for release later this year. These include GShield, a 1 mm conformal GPS anti-jam retrofit for unmanned aircraft that has already been tested on a major defense manufacturer’s platform, and masterBLASTER, a low-cost anti-jam system intended for UAV, UGV, and USV applications.
As unmanned systems continue scaling and RF environments become increasingly congested, Notch positions software-defined antennas as the next stage in the evolution of wireless communications technologies.
