Review of Wearable Antennas: Part 1: Materials, fabrication, and radiation characteristics.

Wearable antennas have raised much interest in recent years, due to their capacity for facilitating wireless sensing and communication in a lightweight, flexible, portable, and cost-effective manner. This comprehensive review explores the materials, fabrication techniques, and characteristics of recent wearable antennas. The materials and fabrication processes of wearable antennas assume critical significance, as wearable antennas are expected to offer flexibility and comfort during wear while simultaneously maintaining optimal radiation efficiency. Moreover, beyond conventional antenna characteristics, such as gain, directivity, and efficiency, the design of wearable antennas necessitates consideration of additional factors. These factors include the impact of the human body and its deformations on antenna performance as well as safety considerations about antenna radiation effects on the human body. By comprehensively discussing antenna materials, fabrication techniques, and characteristics, this article aims to provide an overview of recent wearable antennas, shedding light on their potential applications on wearable systems and the health-care Internet of Things (IoT).