A flexible low profile textile antenna based on planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) structure is presented in this paper. This topology has been chosen due to its design simplicity, relatively large bandwidth and the existence of a full rear ground plane, which shields against the effects of the body. The antenna topology which is designed on a 4 mm-thick felt substrate is presented. Conductive textile (Aaronia-shield) is applied as the antenna’s radiator and ground plane due to its light weight, low surface resistance and good conductivity. The antenna performance in free space and bent conditions in the proximity of human body are studied, followed by a numerical investigation on the influence of relative humidity on the textile antenna performance. The fabricated PIFA is assessed experimentally and is found to be in good agreements with the simulation results. Finally, the antenna is attached to a compact RF module and is evaluated on body in a practical environment. The wireless link quality is also evaluated in an indoor laboratory environment.
