Effects of Dust, Sweat, and Moisture on a Dual-Band Wearable WiFi Antenna

Wearable antennas can be integrated with WiFi wearable systems. The author has previously proposed a dualband textile antenna for WiFi applications [1] working at 2.45 GHz and 5.5 GHz bands. This study investigates the impact of everyday wear and tear, including dust, moisture, and sweat, on the performance of a proposed textile dual-band WiFi antenna. Results indicate that the presence of a conductive insulating layer prevents sweat and moisture from significantly affecting performance when in contact with the skin. While dust on the surface of the radiating element does not substantially impact the antenna's functionality, dust accumulating on the feedline can cause a frequency shift and reduce the antenna's gain.