A flexible broadband antenna for IoT applications

Abstract

AbstractA flexible broadband antenna with high radiation efficiency for the Internet of Things (IoT) applications is presented. The design is based on a U-shaped and a triangular-shaped radiator with two tuning stubs. A 50 Ω coplanar waveguide (CPW) transmission line is employed to feed the antenna. The proposed antenna is fabricated on a flexible substrate from a composite synthesized by mixing natural rubber with SiO2 as a filler. The radiating elements, along with the CPW, are built using a highly conductive woven fabric. Results show that the antenna has a simulated and measured impedance bandwidth of 0.856–2.513 GHz and covers the most commonly used wireless communication standards and technologies for IoT applications. The radiation efficiency of the antenna reaches over 75% throughout the operating frequency band with satisfactory radiation patterns and gain. The flexible antenna was also tested under bending conditions. The presented results demonstrate that bending has a minor effect on the antenna performance within the target frequency range. The measured results show a good agreement with simulations.