Modelling of dynamic on-body channels using different types of wearable antennas

In this paper the dynamic communication channel between wearable antennas mounted on human body is thoroughly investigated. The work has been focused on modelling foot-waist and wrist-waist on-body communication channels commonly used in everyday applications. The influence of body movement during walking action on the channel path loss and signal variations is investigated. The effect of antenna type is also accounted by using three different wearable planar antennas; Inverted-F antenna (IFA), higher mode microstrip patch antenna (HMMPA) and circularly polarized microstrip patch antenna (CPMPA) operating at 2.45 GHz ISM band. Slow and fast fading effects due to body motion and polarization mismatch of antennas were recorded and compared for each case. For this purpose, an extensive measurement campaign in anechoic environment was performed providing a scenario-based channel characterization for future on-body communications.