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Bio-electromagnetic simulation for wearable devices
Reading time: 4 minutes
Designing wearable devices for consumers or medical applications comes with its challenges related to the small form factor, battery lifetime and connectivity. Hi-Tech, a specialist in RF and microwave solutions, together with the CST Studio Suite software of Dassault Systèmes, is supporting companies to address these challenges.
Smartwatches, fitness trackers, medical monitoring devices and even clothing with embedded sensors – wearable devices have become omnipresent. They often use wireless communication technologies such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, RFID, wireless charging and GSM (5G). Understanding the interactions between the human body and the electromagnetic fields produced by the devices is crucial as the effects will be impacting the performance of wearables in various domains.
Antenna design
Firstly, the presence of the human body can change the radiation pattern and efficiency of the antenna. This is because the body can absorb, reflect and scatter the electromagnetic waves emitted by the antenna, leading to changes in the amplitude, direction and polarization of the waves. As a result, the antenna’s performance will be degraded, which negatively impacts signal connectivity and battery lifetime. The latter is especially important for wearables as there’s limited space for batteries. With poor connectivity, the amplifier must increase its signal strength, resulting in even more power consumption.
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