A reconfigurable all-textile wearable UWB antenna

Abstract

—In this work a reconfigurable Ultra Wide Band (UWB) antenna for Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) is presented. The antenna is completely composed of fabric materials and is able to switch its topology from a monopole-like structure (for on-body communications) to a microstrip-like structure (for off-body communications) maintaining UWB characteristic stable both on body and in free-space. This antenna presents good radiation properties in both configurations. In order to describe its time domain and frequency domain behavior, a System Fidelity Factor (SFF) analysis has been done for both topologies.