High-Performance Flexible Compact Wideband U-Slot CPW-Fed Textile Antenna for WBAN, WLAN, ISM, and WI-FI 6E Applications

Abstract

This paper presents a novel, wideband, and flexible coplanar waveguide (CPW) antenna design on a low-cost denim substrate. The antenna exhibits conformal properties and achieves robust dual-band performance. The antenna achieves a maximum gain of 6.18 dB at 6.5 GHz and a peak efficiency of 98% at 2.45 GHz in normal conditions. The fabricated prototype demonstrates excellent agreement between simulated and measured results. The simulated impedance bandwidth ranged from (2.20–3 GHz) for the first band and (4.41–7.43 GHz) for the second band. The measured results show that it offers −10 dB impedance bandwidths of 22% (2.2–2.75 GHz) for WBAN applications and 68% (3.63–7.43 GHz) for WLAN and WIFI-6E applications through strategically designed slots in the ground plane (symmetric U-slot and rectangular slot). Furthermore, the antenna's performance remains stable under various bending conditions and exhibits satisfactory behavior close to the human body, making it suitable for wearable applications. This cost-effective design presents a promising solution for integration into various consumer electronics. The proposed antenna design is a low-cost solution for various wearable consumer electronics applications. This antenna is a potential solution for enhanced workforce management, secure access control, and identification.