Research from North Carolina State University is revolutionizing the field of antenna design, creating shape-shifting antennas that open the door to a host of new uses in fields ranging from public safety to military deployment. The researchers make the new antennas by injecting an alloy made up of the metals gallium and indium, which remains in liquid form at room temperature, into very small channels the width of a human hair. The channels are hollow, like a straw, with openings at either end – but can be any shape. Once the alloy has filled the channel, the surface of the alloy oxidizes; creating a ‘skin’ that holds the alloy in place while allowing it to retain its liquid properties. While the alloy makes an effective antenna that could be used in a variety of existing electronic devices, its durability and flexibility also open the door to a host of new applications. For example, an antenna in a flexible silicone shell could be used to monitor civil construction, such as bridges. As the bridge expands and contracts, it would stretch the antenna – changing the frequency of the antenna, and providing civil engineers information wirelessly about the condition of the bridge. The shape-shifting antennas are still in the lab and the researchers from North Carolina State University are not sure when the invention would hit the market.