Effects of bending on impedance and radiation characteristics of rectangular wearable antenna utilizing smart clothes

The electronics that facilitate our daily pursuits and interactions may soon be integrated into textiles in all areas of our near environment. These Interactive Electronic Textiles are also called Electro-textiles or Smart Clothes and find niches in many applications. Opportunities exist for electro-textiles in fashion and industrial apparel, residential and commercial interior, military, medical, and industrial textile markets. Electro-textiles are developed for communication, entertainment, health, and safety. Electro-textile technologies may soon integrate multiple electronic devices directly into textile and apparel products using shared resources increasing the mobility, comfort and convenience of such devices. For example, communication devices may be integrated into products such as garments. Smart clothes will emerge in various sports outfits, emergency workers' outfits, military, medical, space applications, and so on. The ability to establish wireless communication link is an essential requirement for smart clothes. In this article, the impedance characteristics of a rectangular wearable patch antenna for such wireless data communication using smart clothes have been examined under flat and bent position. (C) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:15081511, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26849