Certain investigations on antenna design for wireless body area networks

Abstract

In recent times, smart wearable devices have become integral to daily life, serving various functions such as healthcare monitoring, entertainment, and military communication. These devices, including smartphones, smartwatches, and personal accessories equipped with features like heart rate monitors and GPS trackers, rely on antennae for the communication of electromagnetic (EM) signals. In the frame work of Wearable Body Area Network (WBAN), antennae are crucial components, requiring design considerations for compactness, lightweightness, adaptability, and cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, these antennae must exhibit minimal back radiation and, adhere to Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) standards due to their operation as body-worn devices. Building upon these considerations, the use of a suitable substrate in antenna design emerges as a paramount requirement for the evolving landscape of smart technology. The substrate should have inherent flexibility, facilitating unified integration into a various of sensor devices. newlineDrawing insights from the literature, research objectives are framed. The first objective is to investigate the various dielectric and conductive materials suitable for WBAN antennae. The second objective is to design antennae for On-body communication and Off-body communication. The third objective is to prototype the antennae, compare the simulated results with the measured data, and thereby assess its suitability for practical applications. newlineIn the first stage of the research, a bioinspired maple leaf shaped, monopole antenna with multiband capabilities is designed.