Wearable Belt Antenna for Body Communication Networks

This letter presents a dual-band wearable belt antenna design offering stable performance for both on and off body scenarios. The proposed antenna is composed of a metal buckle and a lossy leather substrate. A layer of conductive fiber is attached to the leather to provide isolation between the human body and the radiating element. A novel snap-on button structure is used as the antenna feed. The antenna can achieve an on body realized gain of 5.10 dBi at 2.45 GHz, 4.05 dBi at 5.2 GHz, and 3.31 dBi at 5.8 GHz. A specific absorption rate of 0.87 W/kg is achieved. The on/off body radiation efficiency of the antenna is measured in a reverberation chamber. The antenna can operate in both on- and off-body communication. The proposed belt antenna is a low-cost and reliable solution for smart on-body applications.