Radiation Pattern-Reconfigurable Wearable Antenna Based on Metamaterial Structure

Abstract

A pattern-reconfigurable wearable antenna is designed based on a metamaterial structure. By reconfiguring the dispersion curve of the transmission line, the patch antenna can resonate at the zeroth-order mode or the +1 mode, yielding a broadside or an omnidirectional radiation pattern, respectively. The antenna is fabricated with textile material targeting wearable applications. The impedance bandwidth covers the 2.4 GHz Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band in both operating states. The antenna is also simulated on a human tissue model, illustrating that the specific absorption rate is well below the European standard threshold. The bending configurations are also discussed for the proposed antenna.