Body Area Networks (BANs) are wireless networks in which the communications links involves physical channels that are in close proximity to or even within the human body. These networks are finding applications in a range of areas including disease monitoring, emergency communications in rescue environments and military/battlefield communications. The ‘body area’ environment is challenging for communication systems design due to the presence of a lossy, inhomogeneous medium (the body) and a requirement to keep the antennas as small as possible. This latter requirement is especially challenging since antennas which are substantially smaller than a wavelength can be difficult to realise.
The aim of this project is to develop a small antenna for a body area network (involving both on-body and off-body wireless links) in the 2.4GHz ISM band, and will involve the identification of appropriate antenna structures, modelling their behaviour using CST Studio Suite/Microwave Studio, and fabricating and measuring their actual performance using the test facilities provided in the Radio Systems and Telecommunications Laboratory.
Undergraduate
A design/realisation of a small BAN antenna.
Prerequisite ELECTENG307, corequisite ELECTENG721
Lab allocations have not been finalised