SIH26185: Helmet mounted conformal antenna for tactical communications in urban CQB enviro — SIH 2026 | Wynit

SIH26185: Helmet mounted conformal antenna for tactical communications in urban CQB enviro — SIH 2026 | Wynit

What they'll ask you

12

Generated from the brief's own wording and the competition's published rules, never from a guess about what this ministry prefers.

Exact weight limit for the antenna system?
The brief never answers this, so a panel will. Whatever you decide, say it the same way twice.
Specific frequency ranges within UHF and L band?
The brief never answers this, so a panel will. Whatever you decide, say it the same way twice.
Ballistic test standards that must be passed?
The brief never answers this, so a panel will. Whatever you decide, say it the same way twice.

9 morethe ones a panel gets to if there is time

Has any part of this been shown at a previous event, hackathon or college project?
The guidelines are explicit: your solution must not have appeared in any previous event or programme, of any sort. A recycled project is what a team under time pressure reaches for.
The brief asks for conformal patch antenna. How would you build that?
Decoded from SIH26185 itself: Design lightweight and flexible microstrip patch antenna elements that integrate onto tactical ballistic helmets. The brief asks for it by name.
The brief asks for dual-band support. How would you build that?
Decoded from SIH26185 itself: Configure the antenna array to support UHF and L band frequencies for handheld radios and body-worn cameras. The brief asks for it by name.
The brief asks for rf shielding layer. How would you build that?
Decoded from SIH26185 itself: Integrate advanced RF shielding on the underside of the array to isolate the wearer from radiation. The brief asks for it by name.
The brief asks for ruggedized cable interface. How would you build that?
Decoded from SIH26185 itself: Provide a coaxial interface cable routed along the helmet to connect directly into existing radios and cameras. The brief asks for it by name.
Where does your data come from: a published source, one you collect, or one you generate?
No dataset is attached to this problem statement, so sourcing it is part of the work and nobody told you that.
Why not use what already exists? Name the closest thing to this that is already running.
A team that has not named the alternative themselves is answering this for the first time in the room.
Which single thing will you demonstrate end to end, start to finish, with nothing skipped?
Ours, not a rule: a narrow thing that fully works survives questioning better than a broad thing that half works. If nobody on the team can name it, that is the finding.
Show me this working: the evaluators will check whether the antenna maintains ballistic helmet integrity, supports UHF and L band frequencies, includes RF shielding for the head, and connects cleanly to existing radios without adding bulk.
This is the evaluator read for your problem statement, decoded from the brief's own wording.

The government's original description (357 words)

• Background During high-intensity urban counter-terrorism (CT) and Close-Quarter Battle (CQB) operations, the National Security Guard (NSG) operates in highly restrictive indoor spaces like closed rooms, basement areas, narrow corridors and stairwells. For seamless communication, commandos rely on vest-mounted handheld tactical radios. These systems traditionally use rigid, protruding omnidirectional whip antennas mounted on top of the radio itself. In fast-paced operations in confined spaces, these external whip antennas not only restricts ranges but also present an obstruction or cause frequent snagging on obstacles like door frames, windows or loose and hanging objects which can damage the the radio interface or obstruct his tactical movement. • Description Traditional whip antennas pose significant operational limitations. When an assault team enters a reinforced concrete or steel/glass-framed building, the RF signals radiated from a vest-mounted antenna suffers from severe attenuation and fading as the signals are tend to be blocked by virtue of its low positioning. Additionally, omnidirectional radiation patterns make the team vulnerable to electronic eavesdropping or directional tracking by sophisticated adversaries. To address these challenges, the antenna system needs to be elevated to the highest physical point of the commando - the helmet - without adding bulk or altering ballistic integrity. There is an immediate requirement to develop a low-profile, flexible conformal antenna array that integrates seamlessly into or onto tactical ballistic helmets while maintaining high gain and minimal protruding hardware. • Expected Solution A ruggedized, zero-profile wearable antenna system should be developed with the following parameters:- (a) Lightweight, ultra-thin and flexible microstrip patch antenna elements designed for integration with NSG ballistic helmets without degrading impact or ballistic protection ratings. (b) The conformal array must support UHF and L band frequencies to be able to operate with handheld radios and with the svl equipment like helmet mounted/ body worn cameras to transmit live video streams. (c) Advanced RF shielding layers built into the underside of the array to isolate the commandoâ€™s head from radiation while directing an optimized radiation pattern upward and outward. (d) A ruggedized coaxial interface cable routed cleanly along the helmet to connect directly into the NSG existing handheld radios and body-worn camera systems being procured.