Dielectric Characterization of Non-Conductive Fabrics for Temperature Sensing through Resonating Antenna Structures

Seamless integration of electronics within clothing is key for further development of efficient and convenient wearable technologies. Therefore, the characterization of textile and fabric materials under environmental changes and other parametric variations is an important requirement. To our knowledge, this paper presents for the first time the evaluation of dielectric characterization over temperature for non-conductive textiles using resonating structures. The paper describes the effects of temperature variations on the dielectric properties of non-conductive fabrics and how this can be derived from the performance effects of a simple microstrip patch antenna. Organic cotton was chosen as the main substrate for this research due to its broad presence in daily clothing. A dedicated measurement setup is developed to allow reliable and repeatable measurements, isolating the textile samples from external factors. This work shows an approximately linear relation between temperature and textile’s dielectric constant, giving to fabric-based antennas temperature sensing properties with capability up to 1 degree Celsius at millimeter-wave frequencies.

[1]  Yang Yang,et al.  Robust implementation of flexible wearable antennas with PDMS-embedded conductive fabric , 2018 .

[2]  Ping Jack Soh,et al.  Wearable Antennas: A Review of Materials, Structures, and Innovative Features for Autonomous Communication and Sensing , 2019, IEEE Access.

[3]  P. Lunkenheimer,et al.  Dielectric Characterization of a Nonlinear Optical Material , 2014, Scientific Reports.

[4]  Xin Ding,et al.  Review of Flexible Temperature Sensing Networks for Wearable Physiological Monitoring , 2017, Advanced healthcare materials.

[5]  Bhaskar Gupta,et al.  Determination of Dielectric Constant of Fabric Materials and Their Use as Substrates for Design and Development of Antennas for Wearable Applications , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement.

[6]  Yang Hao,et al.  Compact and conformal ultra wideband antenna for wearable applications , 2011, Proceedings of the 5th European Conference on Antennas and Propagation (EUCAP).

[7]  R. Kaul,et al.  Microwave engineering , 1989, IEEE Potentials.

[8]  P. J. Soh,et al.  A review of wearable antenna , 2009, 2009 Loughborough Antennas & Propagation Conference.

[9]  K. Tolsa,et al.  Dielectric characterization of printed wiring board materials using ring resonator techniques: a comparison of calculation models , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation.

[10]  Muhammad Shahid Khan,et al.  A Brief Review of Measuring Techniques for Characterization of Dielectric Materials , 2012 .

[11]  Günther Lehner,et al.  Electromagnetic Field Theory for Engineers and Physicists , 2008 .

[12]  Hendrik Rogier,et al.  Latest developments in the field of textile antennas , 2016 .

[13]  Xiaoyou Lin,et al.  Fabric antenna with body temperature sensing for BAN applications over 5G wireless systems , 2015, 2015 9th International Conference on Sensing Technology (ICST).

[14]  Caixia Liu,et al.  Flexible and wearable 2.45 GHz CPW‐fed antenna using inkjet‐printing of silver nanoparticles on pet substrate , 2017 .

[15]  R. L. Yadava,et al.  Effect of Temperature Variation on Microstrip Patch Antenna and Temperature Compensation Technique , 2013 .

[16]  Yang Hao,et al.  Textile Antennas for On-Body Communications: Techniques and Properties , 2007 .

[17]  James M. W. Brownjohn,et al.  Development of fiber Bragg grating sensors for monitoring civil infrastructure , 2005 .

[18]  C. Balanis.  Advanced Engineering Electromagnetics , 1989 .

[19]  Christophe Fumeaux,et al.  Wearable textile microstrip patch antenna for multiple ISM band communications , 2013, 2013 IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society International Symposium (APSURSI).

[20]  P. Bernard,et al.  Measurement of dielectric constant using a microstrip ring resonator , 1991 .

[21]  J. Hearle,et al.  Physical Properties of Textile Fibres , 1962 .

[22]  Hendrik Rogier,et al.  Robust planar textile antenna for wireless body LANs operating in 2.45 GHz ISM band , 2006 .

[23]  A. Kildishev,et al.  High Temperature Sensing with Refractory Plasmonic Metasurfaces , 2018, 2018 12th International Congress on Artificial Materials for Novel Wave Phenomena (Metamaterials).

[24]  P. Potey,et al.  Design of wearable textile antenna with various substrate and investigation on fabric selection , 2018, 2018 3rd International Conference on Microwave and Photonics (ICMAP).

[25]  P. Kabacik,et al.  The temperture dependence of substrate parameters and their effect on microstrip antenna performance , 1999 .

[26]  L. Roselli,et al.  Wearable Textile Antenna Magnetically Coupled to Flexible Active Electronic Circuits , 2014, IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters.

[27]  Minyoung Suh,et al.  Wearable sensors for athletes , 2015 .

[28]  Jacek Leśnikowski.  Dielectric permittivity measurement methods of textile substrate of textile transmission lines , 2012 .

[29]  Xiaoyou Lin,et al.  Wearable humidity sensing antenna for BAN applications over 5G networks , 2018, 2018 IEEE 19th Wireless and Microwave Technology Conference (WAMICON).

[30]  Luciano Tarricone,et al.  Wearable Antennas for Remote Health Care Monitoring Systems , 2017 .

[31]  Yang Hao,et al.  Curvilinear MetaSurfaces for Surface Wave Manipulation , 2019, Scientific Reports.

[32]  Paola Pirinoli,et al.  Electrically-small wearable antennas for emergency services applications , 2016, 2016 International Workshop on Antenna Technology (iWAT).

[33]  Muhammad Farhan Shafique,et al.  Planar Microwave Sensors for Complex Permittivity Characterization of Materials and Their Applications , 2012 .

[34]  Hendrik Rogier,et al.  Wearable textile GPS antenna for integration in protective garments , 2010, Proceedings of the Fourth European Conference on Antennas and Propagation.

[36]  R. Bansal,et al.  Antenna theory; analysis and design , 1984, Proceedings of the IEEE.

[37]  Cynthia Carter Ching,et al.  Representing and Reconciling Personal Data and Experience in a Wearable Technology Gaming Project , 2016, IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies.

[38]  Asimina Kiourti,et al.  UWB Wearable Antenna With a Full Ground Plane Based on PDMS-Embedded Conductive Fabric , 2018, IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters.

[39]  3D printed substrates with graded dielectric properties and their application to patch antennas , 2016, 2016 Loughborough Antennas & Propagation Conference (LAPC).

[40]  Lucio Vegni,et al.  Electromagnetic Nanoparticles for Sensing and Medical Diagnostic Applications , 2018, Materials.

[41]  Boon-Kuan Chung,et al.  Dielectric Constant Measurement for Thin Material at Microwave Frequencies , 2007 .