A Triband Wearable Antenna for Location Tracking Using Cospas-Sarsat and GNSS

This paper presents the design of a tri-band antenna operating in the Cospas-Sarsat (C-S) and GPS/GNSS bands applicable for the Internet of Things (IoT). Implemented with flexible and robust materials, the antenna operates in three distinct frequencies: 406 MHz for C-S applications and 1227 MHz (L2) and 1575 MHz (L1) for GPS/GNSS applications. The measured 10-dB impedance bandwidth is from 1.517-1.587 MHz (in L1 band) and from 1.192-1.232 MHz (in L2 band). In C-S band, the measured 6-dB bandwidth is from 393 to 406.5 MHz. The 3 dB axial ratio (AR) bandwidth in the L1 and L2 bands are 17 MHz (1.08%) and 18 MHz (1.47%), respectively. The antenna demonstrates a measured gain of 1.61 dB at 406 MHz, exceeding the simulated gain of 0.573 dB, and features a beamwidth of 140°. The measured gains for the L2 and L1 bands closely align with the simulations, although a slight reduction in gain is observed for the L2 band. In the H-plane, zenith-directed main lobes produce measured gains of 1.61 dB for 406 MHz, 2.71 dB for L2, and 3.51 dB for L1. On the other hand, the measured efficiency for the antenna is 36.32% (in the C-S band), 54% (in L1 band) and 60.12% (in L2 band). Both measured and simulated results consistently showed good agreements in terms of gain, polarization, and efficiency. Moreover, the antenna design incorporates effective shielding against electromagnetic radiation, conforming to specific absorption rate (SAR) values of 0.046, 0.077, and 0.035 W/Kg in C-S, L1 and L2 bands respectively. Antenna integration into the life vest foam prior to placement on the human chest significantly influenced axial ratio variations. In the L1 band, the AR increased from 0.43 dB to 3.34 dB, while in the L2 band, it rose from 0.56 dB to 8.66 dB. This indicates a more pronounced effect on polarization characteristics at the lower frequency. Overall, the proposed tri-band antenna presents promising capabilities for location tracking applications, with potential for integration into wearable devices for enhanced safety and tracking functionalities.