LG Electronics, together with Saint-Gobain Sekurit, will unveil two types of transparent antennas at CES 2024: on-glass and in-glass, modularized for application in various glass and automotive designs.

LG Electronics announced on the 18th that it will present a next-generation transparent antenna for vehicles in collaboration with global automotive glass company Saint-Gobain Sekurit.

The transparent antenna will be presented to finished vehicle customers at CES 2024, which will be held in Las Vegas, USA, starting on January 9 next year.

Saint-Gobain Sekurit is responsible for high-performance automotive glass within the Saint-Gobain Group, a global French glass specialist.

A transparent antenna is a transparent film type antenna applied to glass.

Transparent antennas are attracting attention as a new communication technology solution in the automobile market, which is transitioning to 'future mobility' through the expansion of electric vehicles and autonomous driving.

A car is a 'wheeled smartIt is evolving into a software-centered 'SDV (Software Defined Vehicle)' that can enjoy various contents to the point that it can be called a 'phone'. As it transforms into a personal space where cutting-edge technology is concentrated, a communication environment that can exchange large amounts of data in real time is required.

The transparent antenna, which is applied to glass, has the advantage of being expandable, unlike the existing shark fin antenna, which can be attached to multiple glass surfaces of a vehicle.

The size can be adjusted according to the needs of the finished vehicle customer. This allows it to support various communications such as 5G, satellite communication, and GPS, and to cover increased communication volumes to provide uninterrupted connections.

Another advantage is that it completes the vehicle's seamless curved design without any protruding parts such as shark fin antennas. It can also be applied to glass roofs.

LG Electronics has developed transparent antennas and has acquired over 80 patents, including design technology for making antenna patterns transparent and transparent electrode material technology.

The company has also improved the perfection of its products by establishing a process for applying Saint-Gobain Sekurit and transparent antennas to glass.

LG Electronics is expected to further expand its business in the automotive antenna market, including telematics, with differentiated technologies by entering the automotive antenna market with an innovative transparent antenna.

According to our own estimates based on data from market research firm Strategy Analytics, LG Electronics ranked first (23.8%) in the global market share of telematics, a vehicle communication module, as of the third quarter of this year.

“We are delighted to unveil smart glasses featuring LG’s transparent antenna technology at CES,” said Thibaut Heitz, Head of Innovation and R&D at Saint-Gobain Sekurit. “We will continue to pioneer the advancement of vehicle communications by working with LG, a global leader in automotive components.”

LG Electronics VS Business Division Vice President Eun Seok-hyun said, “The transparent antenna, completed through strategic collaboration with Saint-Gobain Sekurit, is a next-generation technology that has been recognized for its differentiated communication performance through verification using actual vehicles.” He added, “We will continue to lead the market in the electric field, including telematics, by taking the lead in developing new technologies such as transparent antennas.”