Wearing an antenna – without anyone knowing – is making a splash in the world of search and rescue. The new antenna is made from highly flexible, lightweight material that is robust against water exposure and moist conditions, and resistant to wear and tear, this special antenna has been designed for use by the Cospas-Sarsat worldwide search and rescue satellite system.
Recent field trials with the antenna show that someone lost at sea wearing a life vest equipped with this new technology can be pinpointed within minutes.
Its high flexibility and small size make this antenna unique, given that the Cospas-Sarsat radio frequencies are so low. With such low frequencies, an antenna is usually much larger.
“This, and that the antenna works in the extreme conditions at sea, make this technology quite useful.”
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I don't understand this. Clearly there would also need to be a transmitting device attached to the antenna if it were to be found and pinned down by those searching, but nothing of the sort is mentioned. Can it actually work without a transmitter? How does the lost person know they have been located?