Abstract
Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs) have emerged as transformative technology for continuous health monitoring, athletic performance tracking, and military personnel management. However, the existing WBAN systems face significant technical challenges, including limited spectral efficiency, susceptibility to interference, and antenna designs that compromise both wearability and functionality. To address these issues, this paper presents a compact dual-band microstrip antenna operating at 5.8 GHz and 7.8 GHz, specifically designed to meet the stringent requirements of modern WBAN applications. The antenna exhibits distinct radiation patterns at 5.8 GHz for on-body communication (e.g., on-body sensor connections) and a broadside pattern at 7.8 GHz for off-body data transmission (e.g., uplink to a base station). Far-field radiation patterns confirm directional gain at 7.8 GHz, which is suitable for focused transmission, while the 5.8 GHz response supports robust on-body connectivity. The frequency response at both target frequencies in free space and the tissue model ensures effective impedance matching. This antenna is compact, lightweight, and cost-effective, making it ideal for wearable health monitoring and IoT-based WBANs.