Wearable Technology

Recent advances in medical technology, along with the expansion of 5G technology, have established a new standard for wearable medical devices. Medical professionals and patients alike expect the devices to be both highly effective and able to withstand daily usage. Meeting these criteria is critical to ensuring that a product is safe, usable and practical—and requires thoughtful design and highly reliable components.

The US Food and Drug Administration has authorized marketing of EaseVRx, a prescription-use immersive virtual reality system that uses cognitive behavioral therapy and other behavioral methods to help with pain reduction in patients 18 years of age and older with diagnosed chronic lower back pain.

Over the past several decades, researchers have moved from using electric currents to manipulating light waves in the near-infrared range for telecommunications applications such as high-speed 5G networks, biosensors on a chip, and driverless cars.

Imagine your car starting the moment you get in because it recognizes the jacket you're wearing. Consider the value of a hospital gown that continuously measures and transmits a patient's vital signs. These are just two applications made possible by a new "body area network"-enabling fabric invented by engineers.

2021 has been an exciting year for printed electronics, with multiple applications reaching commercial adoption and significant funds flowing into the sector. Even where technologies are not yet commercialized, companies are increasingly transitioning from developing their technology and producing speculative demonstration prototypes to development and qualification projects for specific customers.

The DSCC AR/VR Display Forum was held online from November 3rd to November 4th 2021. The event focussed mainly on parts manufacturers for augmented, mixed and virtual reality devices, although one headset manufacturer presented. Most of the discussion was around various competing display technologies, but significant time was devoted to waveguides.

The triboelectric effect is a phenomenon where a charge is generated on two dissimilar materials when the materials are moved apart after being in contact with each other. Triboelectric nanogenerators use this effect to convert mechanical motion into electrical energy. The compactness of TENGs allows them to be used as wearable devices that can harness the motion of the body to power electronics.

Researchers have developed a new approach in which robotic exosuit assistance can be calibrated to an individual and adapt to a variety of real-world walking tasks in a matter of seconds. The bioinspired system uses ultrasound measurements of muscle dynamics to develop a personalized and activity-specific assistance profile for users of the exosuit.

Researchers have received $1.3 million from the Office of Naval Research through the Defense Research University Instrumentation Program to create the world's first printable military "smart helmet" using industrial-grade 3D printers.

Researchers have invented bubble casting, a new way to make soft robots using "fancy balloons" that change shape in predictable ways when inflated with air.

When grazing goats that are wearing this new technology hear a beep, it alerts them to stay within the invisible boundary of the grazing area. If they don't, a digital collar around their necks gives them a small electric shock.

Cionic, a company committed to improving the lives of people with mobility differences by helping them move more independently through bionic clothing, has conducted trials in the San Francisco Bay Area that resulted in an average improvement of 143% to foot drop across trial participants of Cionic's Neural Sleeve gait study.

Sweat is an effective body fluid for analyzing bioanalytes in the body without collecting blood. The sweat sensor can reduce the hassle for diabetic patients who repeatedly have to draw blood, and can also be used in wearable devices for daily healthcare monitoring. However, the practical use of sweat sensors is impeded by irregular and low sweat secretion rates. There is a pressing need to effectively collect these sweat secretions.

A team of engineers has invented new technology that could forever change the manufacturing of wearable, electronic sensors. They've figured out a way to speed up production without having to use polymer binders - the industry standard in printing flexible sensors, which are often used to monitor vital signs in health care settings.

Optomec Inc announced the receipt of orders totaling approximately $2 Million from a premier supplier of digital connectivity solutions. The recent orders include the delivery of three Aerosol Jet 3D Electronics Printers, together with related Software and Digital Products, plus professional services to support their application development.

Researchers have announced the development of a viral detection algorithm for smartwatches. . The algorithm will be commercialized by physIQ, which develops solutions designed to improve health care outcomes by applying artificial intelligence to real-time physiological data from wearable sensors.

Although novel ergonomic interventions such as industrial exoskeletons have shown promise in reducing the risk of musculoskeletal injuries, new research finds that the cognitive fit (where the wearer has ample mental resources available to accurately operate the exoskeleton while conducting their daily work tasks) of such wearable robotic solutions in the workplace may impose newer risks on workers.

When most people think of wearable devices, they think of smart watches, smart glasses, fitness trackers, even smart clothing. These devices, part of a fast-growing market, have two things in common: They all need an external power source, and they all require exacting manufacturing processes. Until now.

Wednesday 3 November 2021 - Prospects for All Sensors and Preparation for Sensor-Centric 6G Communications in 2022. This webinar reveals progress in 2021 and prospects for 2022, and much more! Register your place on of the three sessions.

Wednesday 10 November 2021 - The accelerating transition of printed/flexible electronics from technology push to market pull; Applications of printed/flexible electronic technologies that have been commercialized over the last 12 months; Roadmap for future adoption; A selection of both technical and commercial developments within the sector over the last year.