Scientists have developed a miniature antenna that offers dual band 5G and WiFi connectivity when hidden in certain clothing materials, in including denim.
They have published details of their research and its applications in the journal Nature.
You might wonder why bother with this concept known as connected clothing, given your smartphone in your pockets connects to 5G on-the-go.
But your phone’s antenna might not offer the same quality reception that a tiny 2-port MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) antenna offers.
Besides, there may be advantages in being a human Wi-Fi hotspot if you are carrying around a laptop.
The benefit of this technology is broader and extends to healthcare, sports, space and military uses. For example, a medical device could be designed that sends some of your vital, signs such as your heart rate directly, without relying `on a phone.
Collecting the performance data of athletes during sporting events becomes even easier.
This new low-profile antenna supports dual band 5G sub-6 GHz and Wi-Fi 5.2 GHz. It is tiny and can be integrated into a shirt’s pocket. Its footprint is 24 mm x 24 mm.
It has been tested when both hidden in materials and when visible, such as on a pocket’s surface.
“These antennas can be fabricated on some popular materials: denim, felt, silk, cotton, etc., and play a crucial role in communicating with external or implantable devices to exchange health-related data wirelessly,” the four scientists wrote in the Nature article.
They say the entire nature of communications will be based on MIMO antennas with the continued growth in 5G and 6G networks. They say this type of antenna is superior when operating close to the human body.
“MIMO antennae can provide reliable communication due to their low path losses, high channel capacities, high data rate, and increased communication range without extra input power requirements.
“The wearable devices operate close to the human body, and the human body behaves as a lossy channel owing to the high dielectric properties of different tissue layers, which may lead to low data rate/limited communication distance.
“Due to this, the MIMO antenna is a superior contender to the conventional single-port antenna in the lossy and challenging human-body environment.”
The paper looked at potential issues such as a bent antenna, when waterproofing is needed, and the impact of a MIMO antenna’s radiation on the human body.
The small level of radiation fell within acceptable limits, they say.
