Empowering Connectivity: Wearable Antennas for Wi-Fi and 5G Applications

Wireless connectivity plays a major part in our daily lives. The goal of this talk is to highlight some of the aspects of the wearable antennas designed for applications in Wi-Fi and 5G, emphasizing their significance in enabling continuous, reliable connectivity for various wearable devices utilized in diverse applications and industries. 

Wearable antennas should be small. However, the small antennas usually have omnidirectional patterns, and their input impedance may be affected significantly by the lossy human tissue in their vicinity. On the other hand, the radiation toward the body can cause a high Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), requiring a reduction in the input power to comply with the standard SAR levels. In addition, wearable antennas must be lightweight, flexible, compact, and efficient.  Some of the factors that need careful consideration are the performance of the antennas under bending, crumpling, and stretching. The other factors are the cost, availability, washability, and endurance under extreme and harsh conditions.

This talk is an exploration of wearable antennas, highlighting their pivotal role in enabling ubiquitous and reliable wireless connectivity.