Soni Singh

This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the design, materials, fabrication techniques, and applications of flexible wearable antennas, with a primary focus on their roles in Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs) and healthcare technologies. Wearable antennas are increasingly vital for applications that require seamless integration with the human body while maintaining optimal performance under deformation and environmental stress. Return loss, gain, bandwidth, efficiency, and the SAR are some of the most important parameters that define the performance of an antenna. Their interactions with human tissues are also studied in greater detail. Such studies are essential to ensure that wearable and body-centric communication systems perform optimally, remain safe, and are in compliance with regulatory standards. Advanced materials, including textiles, polymers, and conductive composites, are analyzed for their electromagnetic properties and mechanical resilience. This study also explores innovative fabrication techniques, such as inkjet printing, screen printing, and embroidery, which enable scalable and cost-effective production. Additionally, solutions for SAR optimization, including the use of metamaterials, electromagnetic band gap (EBG) structures, and frequency-selective surfaces (FSSs), are discussed. This review highlights the transformative potential of wearable antennas in healthcare, the IoT, and next-generation communication systems, emphasizing their adaptability for real-time monitoring and advanced wireless technologies, such as 5G and 6G. The integration of energy harvesting, biocompatible materials, and sustainable manufacturing processes is identified as a future direction, paving the way for wearable antennas to become integral to the evolution of smart healthcare and connected systems.