Antenna Design Requirements for Wireless BAN and WSNs

An essential part of the communication system enabling the realization of wireless body area network and personal area network is the RF front-end antenna. The complexity of the antenna system design depends on the radio transceiver requirements and also on the propagation characteristics of the surrounding environments. In this chapter, we explore the main requirements of antenna designs in wireless body area network and wireless sensor network for different scenarios and applications. It highlights the careful considerations needed when designing body-worn antennas and the necessity of understanding the effect of the electromagnetic wave on the human tissue and the influence the presence of the user has on the antenna performance. A compact wearable sensor applied in healthcare and well-being application is demonstrated as a real-life application with emphasis on the essential modifications and original contributions required to achieve efficient and reliable networks.