International audienceThis letter proposes an approach for the realization of three-dimensional flexible antennas based on the use of liquid metal and additive printing technologies. As a representative example, a miniaturized inverted-F antenna (IFA) operating at 885 MHz and suitable for wearable applications is designed, realized, and measured. The antenna sensitivity to the bending is strongly reduced, thanks to the proposed structure. The performance of the antenna in several bent configurations and in presence of the human body has been evaluated.},keywords={UHF antennas;liquid metals;rapid prototyping (industrial);three-dimensional printing;wearable antennas;3D flexible antenna realization;additive printing technology;antenna sensitivity;bent configurations;frequency 885 MHz;liquid metal;miniaturized inverted-F antenna;three-dimensional flexible antenna realization;wearable antenna;Additives;Antenna measurements;Antennas;Liquids;Metals;Phantoms;Three-dimensional displays;Additive technology;UHF;electro-textile;flexible antenna;liquid metal;wearable antenn

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This article presents an antenna with sensing capabilities using shift frequency properties to determine the temperature. This antenna is made up of a printed dipole and a mercury thermometer operating between 10 and 53°C. The dipole is used to excite by electromagnetic coupling the thermometer which acts as an equivalent parasitic metallic liquid dipole. The changes in physical dimensions of the mercury dipole due to temperature changing involve a frequency shift of its resonant frequency. The measured results show this frequency variation as a function of the temperature. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:1557–1560, 2016

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