Compact textile patch antenna for wearable fabric applications

A compact textile patch antenna for wearable fabric applications is presented. The proposed antenna is suitable for Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) operating at 5.5 GHz. The textile materials and the planar antenna shape provide a smooth integration into clothing while preserving the typical properties (Thickness: 1.5 mm, εr = 1.71) of textiles. Our investigations not only characterize the performance of the antennas in planar shape, but also under defined different bending conditions (radius of 30, 60, 90mm and plane). The proposed antenna achieved a maximum gain of 3.5 dBi.