Wing-shaped Wearable Textile Antenna for a Military Tracking System on Ripstop Nylon Fabric

• Published in: ISAP 2024 - International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation
• Main Author: Amri Safiai M.S.; Aris M.A.; Abd Rahman N.H.; Chan K.
• Format: Conference paper
• Language: English
• Published: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. 2024
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85218184329&doi=10.1109%2fISAP62502.2024.10846057&partnerID=40&md5=2db5fc7f6fd4bbc24bf4ebfe0e2885c5

This paper proposes a wing-shaped antenna structure fabricated on military camouflage ripstop nylon material for military applications. The design employs the defected ground structure (DGS) technique to enhance bandwidth and mitigate frequency detuning commonly encountered during military operations under harsh conditions. The conductive part of the antenna is made from a self-developed copper-covered yarn created by twisting polyester and copper yarns together. Validation was performed through simulations using the CST tool and lab measurement. The results showed good agreement between the simulations and measurements, demonstrating the practicality of the design for military operations. DGS implementation has improved the return loss value from -14.35 dB to -24.85 dB as well as the bandwidth which increased from 60 MHz to 100 MHz. The size of the slot has been a good variable for controlling the operating frequency. As a result, the antenna can be tuned to operate at desired frequency. © 2024 IEEE.