Products of Tomorrow

Conductive cellulose, composites testing, and a light-emitting tattoo.

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.

Novel Flexible Terahertz Camera Can Inspect Objects with Diverse Shapes

A flexible, free-standing THz sensor array images blind ends of irregularly shaped objects.

Smartphone-Based Diabetes Detector

This technology could be a low-cost, in-home alternative to blood draws and clinic-based screening tools.

Completely Flat Fisheye Lens

The single piece of glass produces crisp panoramic images.

Supercapacitors for Wearable Devices

These robust supercapacitors still work when stretched to eight times their original size.

5 Ws of the Internal Injury-Sealing Patch

A medical patch can be folded around minimally invasive surgical tools and delivered through airways, intestines, and other narrow spaces.

Would You Wear On-Body Sensors?

This month’s Here’s an Idea episode highlighted a number of on-body sensors. Penn State professor Larry Cheng, for example, found a way to 3D-print a sensor directly on the skin (shown in the above image),...

With A.I., Robotic Exoskeletons Gain Self-Control

Robotics researchers are developing exoskeleton legs capable of thinking and making control decisions on their own using sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

Wearables

In this episode of our Here's an Idea podcast, we speak to engineers who are building a variety of wearables. And some sensors blend in more than others.

New Wearable Device Turns the Body Into a Battery

Researchers at CU Boulder have developed a new, low-cost, wearable device that transforms the human body into a biological battery. The device is stretchy enough that you can wear it like a...

Q&A: Printable Flexible Batteries

Professor Shirley Meng explains why there's a demand for stretchable batteries.

Products of Tomorrow

In-air UAV docking, digital communication via touch, and a computer-vision monitor for diabetes.

Laser Printing Technology for Waterproof E-Textiles

The next generation of waterproof smart fabrics can be laser-printed and made in minutes.

New Flexible and Highly Reliable Sensor

Real-time health monitoring and sensing abilities of robots require soft electronics, but a challenge of using such materials lies in their reliability.

Sensor Material Enables Stretchable Electronics to Perform Better Under Strain

The stretchable electronics are more stable as they change shape, which could lead to next-generation sensors for healthcare applications.

Painless Paper Patch Test for Glucose Levels Uses Microneedles

A patch of needles connected to a paper sensor diagnoses conditions such as prediabetes.

Making Cheaper Biocompatible E-Skin Electrodes

Scientists around the world are working to develop electronic skins that attach to the body and monitor vital signs. These E-skins need to be comfortable, breathable, and flexible for everyday...

Ultra-Thin and Highly Sensitive Strain Sensors

A research team from National University of Singapore (NUS) has taken a first step towards improving the safety and precision of industrial robotic arms by developing a new range of...

Facility Focus: University of Texas Cockrell School of Engineering

Some of the technologies coming from the UT labs include COVID antibody tests, self-watering soil, and the "DRACO" robot.

Stretchable Micro-Supercapacitors Self-Power Wearable Devices

A stretchable system can harvest energy from human breathing and motion.

5 Ws of the Screen-Printed Battery

The battery can be used in flexible, stretchable electronics for wearables as well as soft robotics.

NASA Brain-Training Technology Makes Smart Glasses

With a technique first used at NASA, researchers are making glasses that can improve your concentration.

Wearable, Stretchable Gas Sensor

The stretchable sensor has applications in environmental monitoring and healthcare.

Electronic Skin Sensor Decodes Human Motion

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

Products of Tomorrow

Next-generation solar panels, 3D-printed composites from NASA, and a new way to sterilize medical devices.

Large-Area Flexible Organic Photodiodes Can Compete with Silicon Devices

The performance of flexible large-area organic photodiodes has advanced to the point that they can now offer advantages over conventional silicon photodiode...