Archive · 6 Aug 2026
Tiny IIT (ISM) Dhanbad Antenna Promises Faster, Safer Wearable Communication
Scientists at a big engineering college in India made a super tiny antenna that is smaller than your fingernail.
It is so small that it can be worn on your body.
The antenna helps devices like fitness trackers and medical sensors talk to each other very quickly.
It can send lots of information at high speed and work over longer distances.
The antenna uses two different frequency bands to do its job.
One band helps devices on your body communicate clearly with each other.
The other band sends data faster and farther away.
The antenna is also very safe because it releases only a tiny amount of energy into the body.
This means people could wear it for a long time without worry.
In the future, it could help doctors monitor patients from far away.
Researchers at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad developed an ultra-compact wearable antenna measuring just 5 × 5 × 0.75 mm.
The antenna delivers high-speed data transmission and wider wireless coverage for Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs).
It operates in two frequency bands — one for reliable communication among body-worn devices and one for faster transmission over longer distances.
The antenna has a low Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), transferring minimal electromagnetic energy to the body for safer prolonged use.
The breakthrough was reported in IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, with the fabricated prototype closely matching simulation results.
- Who
- Prof Ravi Kumar Gangwar and research scholar Nibash Kumar Sahu of IIT (ISM) Dhanbad's Department of Electronics Engineering
- What
- Developed an ultra-compact 5 × 5 × 0.75 mm wearable antenna for faster, safer wireless body communication
- When
- Announced on Thursday, August 6
- Where
- IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, India
- Why
- To improve the performance of next-generation healthcare devices, smart wearables and Wireless Body Area Networks
- Antenna size
- 5 × 5 × 0.75 mm
- Developed by
- IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, Department of Electronics Engineering
- Lead researchers
- Prof Ravi Kumar Gangwar and Nibash Kumar Sahu
- Published in
- IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques
- Frequency bands
- Two — body-area communication and faster long-distance transmission
- Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)
- Low, making it safer for prolonged use on the body
- Target applications
- Wireless Body Area Networks, wearable medical sensors, fitness trackers
- Announcement date
- August 6 (Thursday)
