mmWave Wearable Antenna for Interaction with VR Devices
Haksun Son, Song Min Kim
TL;DR
This work tackles the VR interaction bottleneck by introducing a millimeter-wave wearable antenna integrated into fabric for lighting-insensitive, non-intrusive user interaction. It presents a polyester-based substrate with low loss tangent and a smoothing coating to mitigate dielectric and surface losses, enabling operation in the 24 GHz ISM band. The antenna is compact (3.9 mm × 8.8 mm; 0.17 mm thick) and fabricated with conductive ink (NBSIJ-MU01) and a coating process, achieving $S_{11}=-29 dB$ at $24.15 GHz$ and coverage from $23.8$ to $24.5$ GHz. The results demonstrate a viable path toward seamless, mmWave-based VR interaction with wearable devices and scalable multi-user capabilities.
Abstract
The VR industry is one of the most promising industries for the near future, as it can provide a more immersive connection between people and the virtual world. Currently, VR devices interact with people using inconvenient controllers or cameras that perform poorly in dark environments. Interaction through millimeter-wave wearable devices has the potential to conveniently track human behavior regardless of the lighting conditions. In this study, a millimeter-wave wearable antenna was developed, opening up the possibility for more immersive interaction with VR devices. The antenna features a low loss tangent polyester fabric to minimize dielectric losses and a smooth coating to reduce losses due to rough surfaces. The antenna operates in the 24GHz ISM band, with an S11 value of -29dB at 24.15GHz.