Imitating Human Hands to Make Better Sensors

This work could help severely injured people, such as soldiers, regain the ability to control their movements.

Wearable Sensor Helps ALS Patients Communicate

A skin-like device can measure small facial movements in patients who have lost the ability to speak.

Products of Tomorrow: September 2021

Water-sensing smartphone screens, a NASA-developed RF switch, and an ultrasound patch.

Wearable, All-in-One Health Monitor

The soft, stretchy skin patch can monitor cardiovascular signals and multiple biochemical levels at the same time.

Pre-Treatment Solution for Water Recovery

The solution increases water recovery, prevents mineral scaling, and cuts the volume of brines in half.

Device Powers Wearable Sensors Through Human Motion

A triboelectric generator made of flexible circuit boards creates electricity when the wearer moves.

Nearly Pain-Free Microneedle Patch

The patch can replace blood draws to test for antibodies that signal a viral or bacterial infection such as SARS-CoV-2.

Wearable Device Captures Cancer Cells from Blood

By capturing more cancer cells than blood draw screening, this device could help doctors understand a tumor’s biology and make decisions about treatment.

Electronic Tattoo Enables Uninterrupted Heart Monitoring for Extended Periods

This wearable device is placed on the skin to measure a variety of body responses, from electrical to biomechanical signals.

Swimming Living Robots Can Self-Train

Biobots based on muscle cells can swim at unprecedented velocities.

Experimental Hearing Implant Succeeds in Registering Brain Waves

Researchers at KU Leuven have succeeded for the first time in measuring brain waves directly via a cochlear implant.

Optical Imaging Technology Sheds Light on Tumors

This tool could help surgeons better treat tumors and brain diseases.

Synapse-Like Phototransistor

The technology could help computers process visual information more like the human brain.

Radar Enables Touch-Free Monitoring of Heart Sounds

Mobile radar devices could replace standard stethoscopes.

Smartphone-Based Medical Tests

A smartphone, combined with nanoscale porous silicon, enables inexpensive, simple, home diagnostics.

Device Combines Optics and Image Analysis to Count Biomolecules

The promise of personalized medicine involves a simple device that keeps each person apprised of their level of health, identifies even trace amounts of undesirable biomarkers...

Biometric Security System Based on the Human Heartbeat

The wearable prototype can stream, in real time, an identifying signature based on the electrical activity of a person's heart.

Chip Delivers COVID-19 Test Results on a Smartphone

Programmed magnetic nanobeads are used to detect the virus in 55 minutes or less.

Surgical Tools with Smart Sensors Can Advance Cardiac Surgery and Therapy

Medical instruments equipped with a soft electronics system improve diagnostic and therapeutic interventions in minimally invasive surgeries.

Optical Phased Array Technology On-Chip at Near Infrared and Blue Wavelength

This compact beam steering technology has applications in autonomous navigation, AR, and neuroscience.

Active Photonic Wireless System Powers Medical Implants

The device recharges the internal battery of implants without invasive surgery.

Smart Stent Detects Narrowing of Arteries

The stent monitors even subtle changes in the flow of blood through the artery.

3D-Printed Working Heart Pump with Real Human Cells

The functioning human heart pump provides a model to track and trace what happens at the cell and molecular levels in the pump structure.

3D-Printing of Sensors Directly on Expanding Organs

The technique could have applications in diagnosing and monitoring the lungs of patients with COVID-19.

Miniscule Robots of Metal and Plastic

A technique enables manufacturing of minuscule robots by interlocking multiple materials in a complex way.

Electronic Skin Sensor Decodes Human Motion

This system can track the motion of the entire body with a small sensory network.

Biocontainment Unit for Virus-Sized Particles

The unit could help healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients.

Autonomous HVAC System Measures Facial Temperature

The system turns faces into thermostats, providing more comfort with less energy.