Dual-Band Wearable Textile Antenna on an EBG Substrate

Performance of a dual-band coplanar patch antenna integrated with an electromagnetic band gap substrate is described. The antenna structure is made from common clothing fabrics and operates at the 2.45 and 5 GHz wireless bands. The design of the coplanar antenna, band gap substrate, and their integration is presented. The band gap array consists of just 3 x 3 elements but reduces radiation into the body by over 10 dB and improves the antenna gain by 3 dB. The performance of the antenna under bending conditions and when placed on the human body are presented.