Antennas in body-centric sensor network devices

Abstract

This chapter concentrates on embroidered textile antennas for body-centric wireless identification and sensing systems. Methods for modeling and characterization of embroidered UHF RFID tag antennas, creating totally embroidered wearable patch-type antennas, and co-designing textile-based transmit antenna and mm-size implant antenna for challenging wireless brain-machine interface systems will be presented. Wireless body-centric identification and sensing systems hold an enormous potential to revolutionize wearable intelligence by extending the functionality of advanced garments. There are several specific requirements for on-body and implant antennas and their communication: on-body antennas have to be lightweight, conformal, easy to integrate into clothing, and as immune as possible to the performance-degrading effects of human body. When implanted systems are considered, communication link between the on-body and implant antennas has to be as efficient as possible, but at the same time SAR regulations must be obeyed. Moreover, implants and thereby implant antennas are intended to be as small as possible, and therefore the on-body textile antennas have to be able to efficiently communicate with mm-size implant antennas. Approaches to solve these challenges are presented in this chapter. Additionally a comprehensive and organized list of references is provided to assist the readers in identifying most pertinent publications about this very important and timely subject.