Design and characterization of wearable antennas

Wearable antennas for off- and on-body wireless communications are reviewed. Their distinctive requirements and features are highlighted, which are quite different from those of conventional antennas for mobile communication terminals. Also, a discussion is added on those statistical parameters that could be used to characterize such class of antennas; indeed, wearable antenna characterization could benefit of a stochastic approach accounting for performance variations associated to the various postures and the natural movements of the person wearing the wireless device. © 2013 IEEE.