Bringing Scent to Simulation: A Wearable Olfactory VR System

VR tech is rapidly advancing, allowing users to see and hear highly realistic virtual environments. But most VR systems only rely on visual and auditory experiences, leaving out one of the most powerful human senses — the sense of smell. Until now!

New Products

See the new products, including Flexxbotics' enhanced MQTT connector driver within the Flexxbotics open-source project on GitHub; IKO International's LCRB series — an ultra-lightweight crossed roller bearing series with a unique inner and outer ring construction; Bosch Sensortec's BMI5 platform, a new generation of inertial sensors designed to provide consistent, high-precision performance across multiple device classes; and more.

A Neural Blueprint for Human-Like Intelligence in Soft Robots

A new artificial intelligence control system enables soft robotic arms to learn a wide repertoire of motions and tasks once, then adjust to new scenarios on the fly, without...

Wearable Lets Users Control Machines and Robots While on the Move

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a next-generation wearable system that enables people to control machines using everyday gestures — even...

New Wearable Aims to Mimic Skin’s “Sensors”

When it comes to haptic feedback, most technologies are limited to simple vibrations. But our skin is loaded with tiny sensors that detect pressure, vibration, stretching and more. Now, Northwestern University engineers have unveiled a new technology that creates precise movements to mimic these complex sensations. Read on to learn more.

An Autonomous, Programmable Computer in the Form of an Elastic Fiber

MIT researchers have developed an autonomous programmable computer in the form of an elastic fiber, which could monitor health conditions and physical activity, alerting the wearer to potential health risks in real-time. Read on to learn more.

VoxeLite: Helping Users Feel the Digital World

By combining high spatial resolution with a comfortable, wearable form factor, VoxeLite recreates touch sensations, which could transform how people interact with digital environments, including more immersive virtual reality systems, assistive technologies for people with vision impairments, human-robot interfaces, and enhanced touchscreens.

An Electronic Fiber for Stretchable Sensing

The phrase ‘liquid metal’ may bring to mind something hazardous, like mercury or molten steel. But in the Laboratory of Photonic Materials and Fiber Devices (FIMAP) in EPFL’s School of...

The Agility Equation: Discovering the Math of Human Movement for Robotics and Footwear

Researchers from UMass Amherst are working to define the primary mathematical components of running. Compared to walking, much less is understood about...

Nanoparticles-Based Wearable Biosensors

A team of Caltech engineers has developed a technique for inkjet printing arrays of special nanoparticles that enables the mass production of long-lasting wearable sweat sensors. These sensors could be used to monitor a variety of biomarkers, such as vitamins, hormones, metabolites, and medications, in real time. Read on to learn more.

A Smart Sensor Patch to Detect Health Symptoms

A research team from Japan has fabricated a flexible multimodal wearable sensor patch and developed edge computing software that is capable of detecting arrhythmia, coughs, and falls in volunteers. Read on to learn more about the sensor, which uses a smartphone as the edge computing device.

AI-Powered Action for Rapid Disaster Response

A system uses drone imagery and artificial intelligence to rapidly assess damage after hurricanes and floods, offering life-saving insights in minutes.

Creating Wearables for Preventative Healthcare

Wearables detect early signs of health issues, paving the way for transforming preventative healthcare.

Privacy and Data Security in the Era of Medical Wearables

As we continue to explore the impact of wearables on healthcare, this episode focuses on privacy and data security in the era of medical wearables. Wearables are collecting vast...

‘Exergames’ Aim to Make Working Out Enjoyable

Virtual reality video games that combine screen time with exercise are a great way to get fit, but game designers face a major challenge — adherence to ‘exergames’ is low, with most users dropping out once they start to feel uncomfortable or bored. Read on to learn what a team did to thwart this.

Integrating AI into Medical Wearables

Artificial intelligence is transforming the design and function of wearable medical devices.

How Wearables Are Transforming Chronic Disease Management

Wearable devices expand the ability to identify patients earlier and deliver more targeted treatments.

Products of Tomorrow

See the products of tomorrow, including a compact, low-power receiver for 5G-compatible smart devices that is about 30 times more resilient to a certain type of interference than some traditional wireless receivers; a flexible, conductive skin, which is easy to fabricate and can be melted down and formed into a wide range of complex shapes; and tiny batteries that vanish after use inspired by Mission: Impossible.

Restoring Mobility and Freedom with a Wearable Robotic Device

An assistive robotic device can provide at-home therapy and also enable independence on everyday tasks.

Soft Robotics that Can ID, Self-Repair Damage

A University of Nebraska–Lincoln engineering team is another step closer to developing soft robotics and wearable systems that mimic the ability of human and plant skin to detect and self-heal injuries.

Fast-Charging, Long-Running, Bendable Supercapacitor

This technology has potential as a portable power supply in several applications, including electric vehicles, cellphones, and wearable technology.

Implantable Transmitter for Wireless Sensor Nodes

An invention that uses microchip technology in implantable devices and other wearable products such as smart watches can be used to improve biomedical devices including those used to monitor people with glaucoma and heart disease. Read on to learn more.

A Better Magnetoreceptive E-Skin

A research team has developed an electronic skin that detects and precisely tracks magnetic fields with a single global sensor. Read on to learn more.

What Are Smart Glasses?

Smart glasses are wearable devices that integrate computer technology into eyeglasses. These glasses work by projecting digital images onto the user’s field of vision. Test your knowledge about smart glasses.