Wearables

Products of Tomorrow: September 2022

This column presents technologies that have applications in commercial areas, possibly creating the products of tomorrow.

Electronic Skin Powered by Sweat Serves as Human-Machine Interface

Researchers have developed electronic skin (e-skin) that is applied directly on top of real skin. Made from soft, flexible rubber, it can be embedded with sensors that...

Detecting Health Markers in Thread-Based, Wearable Sweat Sensors

Engineers have created a flexible electronic sensing patch that can be sewn into clothing to analyze sweat for multiple markers. The patch could be used to diagnose and monitor...

Liquid Metal Wearable Pressure Sensor

Soft pressure sensors have received significant research attention in a variety of fields including soft robotics, electronic skin, and wearable electronics. Researchers have developed a highly sensitive...

Portable Device Treats Infections and Wounds

The wearable device offers options for treating antibiotic-resistant infections and wounds.

Wearable Patch to Treat Melanoma

The patch enables unobtrusive drug delivery through the skin for the management of skin cancers.

Cardiac Patch with Bioink Can Repair the Heart

3D bioprinting using bioink from engineered stem cells enables treatment of myocardial infarction and other cardiovascular diseases.

Facility Focus: North Carolina State University

Learn about the technologies being developed at NC State, including vehicle armor, a monitoring patch for plants, and origami-inspired materials.

Here's an Idea: Microneedles

Microneedles offer an intriguing alternative to the drug-delivery devices we know and don't love.

Products of Tomorrow: September 2021

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

Wireless, Wearable Transmitter

The wearable antenna bends, stretches, and compresses without compromising function.

Wearable, All-in-One Health Monitor

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

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.

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.

Products of Tomorrow: July 2021

Battery recycling, NASA's water treatment, and a wireless wearable transmitter.

New Skin Patch Brings Us Closer to Wearable All-In-One Health Monitor

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a soft, stretchy skin patch that can be worn on the neck to continuously track blood pressure and...

Smart Sensors Are Improving Medical Care

Over the last 75 years, sensors have played an increasingly significant part in the advancement of medicine.

Biodegradable Displays for Sustainable Electronics

Thanks to its flexibility and adhesion, the biodegradable display can be worn directly on the hand.

Fully Recyclable Printed Electronics

Nearly 100% of all-carbon-based transistors are reclaimed while retaining future functionality of the materials.

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.

Laser Printing Technology for Waterproof E-Textiles

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

Painless Paper Patch Test for Glucose Levels Uses Microneedles

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

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.

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...

Electronic Skin Sensor Decodes Human Motion

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

Painless Paper Patch Tests Glucose Levels

The patch uses painless, biodegradable microneedles.

Products of Tomorrow: January 2021

A malaria-test "bandage"; underwater navigation via sound; and a biodegrading, implantable sensor.