Some considerations on wearable antennas

There has been a huge increase in interest for wearable communication devices in the last ten years. Applications are manifold, ranging from rescue to fashion over medical devices and safety, leading to the definition of new standards for Body Area Networks (BAN). Wearable communication devices can be of different kind: On Body, Off Body or In Body, leading to different propagation channels and different antenna requirements. In the frame of this contribution, we will first briefly recall different scenarios and derive the related antenna requirements. We will then present the technology solution we selected and finally present some antenna designs were the emphasis was laid on flexibility and robustness.