3-Dimensional Wearable Patch Antennas with Improved Bandwidth and Efficiency for Athlete, Patient, Firefighter and Soldier Applications

我们生活在一个无线的世界里，我们需要能够随时随地进行通信。只有用能够可靠地通过空气传输信号的天线取代电线，才能实现这种程度的便利。为了继续满足对无线、分立和强大通信系统的需求，设计师和商业先驱正在构思将天线集成到服装中的新应用。这些概念对于对通信系统有特定要求的某些群体特别有益，包括紧急服务，军队，精英运动员，患者和时尚创新者。这些概念的实现将拓展一个令人兴奋的新制造业，将创新纺织品和先进电子制造业联系在一起。这项研究有可能改变现代通信。集成到服装中的通信设备将是轻便的，立即可访问的，易于使用的，坚固的，不可能留下。在安全关键场景中，例如搜索和救援或战场情况，主角之间的通信故障的风险降低，并且定位处于危险中的人员的能力大大提高。在不太紧急的情况下，例如痴呆症患者的长期护理，集成天线可以用于跟踪患者，如果他们离开自己的家庭环境的安全。同样，心脏病等慢性疾病的患者可以想象在他们的家庭环境中佩戴发射监测设备，以通知他们的监督医生他们的持续状况。目前，可穿戴天线在主流市场中并不常见，原因是对用户舒适度、天线效率、天线在接近人体时的失谐以及电磁能量吸收到体内的风险的担忧。该项目通过减小天线体积或提高带宽和/或通信范围来解决这些问题，并将使织物天线的实际集成成为可行的商业现实。通常，减小天线尺寸会影响电磁性能（范围和带宽）。这也适用于降低平面天线的高度。惯例规定贴片天线是平面的;然而，天线下面的电场是不均匀的。该项目的假设是，在某些位置增加天线的高度将特别有利于天线性能。因此，可以设计优化的3-D天线以最大化带宽和效率体积比。该研究项目将使用优化的3-D结构结合高性能材料来改善可穿戴天线的电磁性能。一个强大的商业项目合作伙伴联盟确保这项工作从一开始就对英国制造业产生影响，并使军事，体育和健康部门的利益得以实现。拉夫堡大学是英国两个领先的天线和电磁学小组的所在地，并在体育和体育技术方面享有卓越的国际声誉。Whittow博士在天线设计和与人体的电磁相互作用方面拥有十多年的经验，他将管理这个为期21个月的项目。

We live in a wireless world where we demand the ability to communicate wherever we are. This level of convenience can only be achieved by replacing wires with antennas capable of reliably transmitting signals through the air. To continue to meet this demand for wireless, discrete and robust communication systems, designers and commercial pioneers are conceptualising new applications that will integrate antennas into clothing. These concepts are of particular benefit for certain groups who have specific requirements for communication systems including the emergency services, military, elite athletes, patients and fashion innovators. Realising these concepts will expand an exciting new manufacturing sector tying together innovative textiles and advanced electronics manufacturing.This research has the potential to transform modern communications. Communication devices that are integrated into clothing will be light, immediately accessible, easy to use, robust and impossible to leave behind. In safety critical scenarios, such as search and rescue or battlefield situations, the risk of communication breakdown between protagonists is reduced and the ability to locate people at risk is greatly increased. In less immediately critical scenarios, such as long term care of dementia patients, integrated antennas can be used to track patients should they wander away from the safety of their own home environments. Similarly, sufferers of chronic diseases such as heart disease could conceivably wear transmitting monitoring devices in their home environments to apprise their supervising physicians of their ongoing condition. Currently, wearable antennas are not commonly found in mainstream markets due to concerns around user comfort; antenna efficiency; the antenna detuning when in proximity to the human body and risks around the absorption of electromagnetic energy into the body. This project addresses these concerns by reducing antenna volume or improving the bandwidth and/or the communication range and will lead towards making the practical integration of fabric antennas a viable commercial reality.Typically, reducing antenna size can compromise electromagnetic performance (range and bandwidth). This also applies when reducing the height of planar antennas. Convention has decreed that patch antennas are planar; however, the electric fields underneath an antenna are not uniform. The hypothesis of this project is that increasing the height of the antenna in certain locations will particularly benefit antenna performance. Therefore, an optimised 3-D antenna can be designed to maximise the bandwidth and efficiency to volume ratio. This research project will improve the electromagnetic performance of wearable antennas using optimised 3-D structures in conjunction with high performance materials. A strong consortium of commercial Project Partners ensures the work has impact for UK manufacturing from the outset and that the benefits to the military, sporting and health sectors can be realised.Loughborough University is home to two of the UK's leading groups in antennas and electromagnetics and enjoys an international reputation for excellence in sports and sports technology. Dr. Whittow, who has more than ten years of experience in antenna design and electromagnetic interactions with the human body, will manage this 21 month project.