Wearable technologies

A lightweight energy-harvester for scavenging energy from human motion, generating a sustainable supply of power from walking, has been developed in Hong Kong, China.

An elastic cross-linkable elastomer film that can revert to its original shape and size after folding and rolling has been developed by Toray Industries of Tokyo, Japan.

Flexible, biocompatible and potentially biodegradable nanocellulose sensors that can be worn on the skin are being developed by researchers in Switzerland and Canada. 

Researchers at the The Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) in Barcelona, Spain, have created flexible non-invasive photodetectors that they say can measure a broader set of vital signs than curre

The US Air Force Maintenance Operations and Training Augmented Reality Unit (MOTAR) is to use the Forte Data Glove developed by BeBop Sensors of Berkeley, California, USA.

A stretchable patch-based sensor that can monitor physiological signals and transmit the data wirelessly to a receiver that can be clipped onto clothing has been developed by researchers at Stanfor

Isansys Lifecare has announced the results of a study highlighting a new method for managing patients with advanced liver disease based on the use of data-driven biomarkers generated by a smart pat

The market for wearable technology products will be worth over $50 billion in 2019, and – having doubled in size since 2014 – and has been one of the most consistently successful segments of the co

High-performance sensors can be manufactured on flexible substrates of diverse shapes and structures using a transfer-printing technology employing hydrogels and nanoinks.

Nanusens of London, UK, says that it is developing sensors using conventional complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology tht could revolutionise the wearable technology market.

A heart failure and arrhythmia management system (HFAMS) designed to help clinicians improve outcomes and reduce hospitalisations for heart failure patients with fluid management problems has been

Hospitals are supposed to put a patient on an antibiotic drip within an hour if sepsis is suspected, but research by BBC News suggests a quarter of patients in England wait longer.

A prototype electronic patch has been produced using breathable thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) films by researchers at the Holst Centre and Covestro. 

A wearable patch based on a soft and stretchable piezoelectric polymer could make heart health monitoring easier and more accurate than is possible using existing electrocardiograph (ECG) machines—

A project in the UK has been set-up to develop soft, wearable devices to help elderly and disabled people walk and move from sitting to standing in comfort and safety.

A cheap, sensor-packed glove that captures pressure signals as its wearer interacts with objects has been developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, U

Stretchable electronic circuits from Conductive Transfers are being used by Atlantic Therapeutics in shorts it has developed for treating bladder weakness in women (Innovo).

Wearable devices that harvest energy from movement are not a new idea, but a nanomaterial created at Rice University in Houston, Texas, USA, may make them more practical.

A soft, stretchable patch that can cool or warm the skin of its wearer, and maintain the temperature of the skin as that of the surrounding environment changes, has been developed by researchers at

A highly flexible, textile-based lithium battery with a high capacity for storing energy has been developed by researchers in Hong Kong, China.

Luxury goods manufacturer Louis Vuitton has been attracting a lot of attention with two monogram handbags with built-in flexible active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) screens, which i

Highly stretchable supercapacitors for powering wearable electronics have been manufactured from crumpled forests of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by researchers in the USA.

A shirt containing a contactless payment module that can be controlled via an online application is to be launched by DressCode Shirts of Cambridge, UK.

Researchers at the Holst Centre and DuPont Teijin Films have created what they claim to be a high-performance and cost-effective barrier film designed specifically for flexible photovoltaic (PV) ce

IBM has announced partnerships with a number of companies, including Mitsufuji Corp, to further develop wearable technologies for monitoring worker safety in hazardous environments, .

Wearable technology is entering the field of textile manufacturing, with advances such as the Smart Bracelet from BMSvision of Kortrijk, Belgium.

Supplier of graphene nanoplatelets Haydale has joined a UK consortium established to develop advanced functionalized inks and applications for these materials.

Suunto of Vantaa, Finland, reports that five separate start-up companies launched products based on its motion-sensing technology (Movesense) at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

For the past 12 months, Canadian commercial airline Air Georgian has been field-testing wearable technology as a potentially useful aid in reducing the dangers associated with pilot fatigue.

A wearable, wireless device that continuously measures how a person’s fingernail bends and moves, which are key indicators of grip strength, could be used in the treatment of numerous medical condi

BeBop Sensors of Berkeley, California, USA, has been been presented with the Best New Material Award at the IDTechEx Wearable USA 2018 Awards.

At the Electronica exhibition in Munich, Germany, on 12–16 November 2018, TactoTek of Oulu, Finland, demonstrated the benefits of its injection-moulded structural electronics (IMSE) techno

A method for producing highly transparent antennas from layers of titanium carbide (MXene) just a few atoms in thickness has been developed in the USA.

Advanced materials group Haydale has been jointly awarded a contract by the English Institute for Sport (EIS) for the development of wearable technology for elite athletes in training for the 2

Isansys Lifecare of Abingdon, UK, has won a US Patent covering a key feature of its Lifetouch cardiac sensor.

A research project that could help people with impaired mobility live independently and with dignity by wearing trousers featuring artificial muscles has been awarded a £2-million grant from the UK

Fujitsu Frontech North America of Foothill Ranch, California, USA, has developed antenna technology to create washable ultra high frequency (UHF) radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags that are

W.L. Gore is investing in digital health start-up Kenzen and its Innovation Centre in Santa Clara, California, USA, is involved in a joint development project with the company.

The rapid development of flexible and wearable electronics is giving rise to a range of new applications, but up to now researchers have had difficulty obtaining both good flexibility and high ener

Scientists at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore (NTU Singapore) have created a customizable, fabric-like supercapacitor that can be cut, folded and stretched without losing its function

Atoun of Nara City, Japan, is launching a version of its Power Assist Suit that is built using plastics rather than metals and is 40% lighter than the existing model.

As a partner to the forthcoming 2018 Olympic Winter Games in South Korea, Visa is introducing wearables in the form of gloves, stickers and pins that allow secure payments to be carried ou

Wearable sensor technology developer MC10 of Lexington, Massachusetts, is entering into a strategic partnership with life sciences company LabCorp of Burlington, North Carolina, both in the USA.

Xsensio of Lausanne, Switzerland, will lead the €2.48-million XPATCH consortium, which will develop a wearable skin patch for health and wellness monitoring based on the company’s propriet

After launching its TUNE as a simple, easy-to-use smart wearable for runners in October 2016, Porto, Portugal-based Kinematix is now closing as it lacks the funds necessary to move forward.

The wearable device market is facing a compliance dilemma in trying to apply current test standards and methodologies to its rapidly evolving technology, leaving manufacturers, retailers and end-us

Spyder, the ski and performance brand based in Boulder, Colorado, USA, has integrated near-field communication (NFC) technology into its recently-launched US Ski Team collection.

The use of a wearable neurotechnology device by military personnel could improve sleep and consequently lower the risk of developing post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to Brain State

There has been a lot of talk about wearable technologies over the past couple of years, with much of the initial enthusiasm fizzling out as the industry struggles to move beyond fitness trackers an

Sensoria is using the Kickstarter crowdfunding site to gauge demand for the Fitness v2.0 app for use with its latest range of sports bras and T-shirts.