Wearable Technology

Lynx is the manufacturer of a standalone headset, the R-1, that blurs the lines between augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR). The light and slim VR headset is well-suited for video passthrough AR due to is slim form factor, its ability to operate at low latency and lack of requirement for an eye surround. Targeted at enterprise and consumer applications, customer deliveries are due to begin in April 2022.

Mira produces headsets using giant reflectors allowing the use of an iPhone as a head-mounted display (HMD) for smart glasses and augmented reality (AR) applications, in addition to offering software solutions to allow use of these headsets for enterprise applications. The headsets are low-cost, durable and leverage the use of trusted, secure devices.

Masks, social distancing, proper hygiene and ventilation can help reduce the transmission of COVID-19 in public places, but even with these measures, scientists have detected airborne SARS-CoV-2 in indoor settings. Now, researchers have developed a passive air sampler clip that can help assess personal exposure to SARS-CoV-2, which could be especially helpful for workers in high-risk settings, such as restaurants or health care facilities.

In a groundbreaking new study, researchers used a customized printer to fully 3D print a flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. The discovery could result in low-cost OLED displays in the future that could be widely produced using 3D printers by anyone at home, instead of by technicians in expensive microfabrication facilities.

Silk makes an important biomaterial, because it does not generate an immune response in humans and promotes the growth of cells. It has been used in drug delivery, and because the material is flexible and has favorable technological properties, it is ideal for wearable and implantable health monitoring sensors.

At CES 2022, IDTechEx had a relatively brief conversation with Dima Gazda, CEO at Esper Bionics. Esper Bionics is a pioneer engineering company focused on prostheses, mechatronics, AI, and IoT technologies for Human Augmentation. On the way to implanted electronics, they connect robotic prostheses under their platform to enhance the control and usability.

biped is the world's first AI copilot for blind and visually impaired people, bringing autonomous driving features to humans. It predicts your surroundings a few seconds ahead and generates intuitive feedback through spatial sounds.

Optinvent designs and produces geometric/reflective optical waveguides, which are unique due to their construction from monolithic injection molded plastic elements. Their chief use is in augmented reality glasses, but they are also used in avionics applications. The upcoming generation can expand images in 2D. The company also used to produce smart glasses with their waveguides but has pivoted towards being a pure waveguide design house.

Thursday 13 January 2022 - New Self-healing Materials Save Lives, Money, and the Planet. The webinar explains how this is a world of many materials including a lot of silicon polymers such as geopolymers and silicones. It involves many ionomers, hydrogels, polyurethanes, ionomers, epoxies and Diels-Alder polymers but much more besides.

TruLife Optics is a company that focusses on optical image combiners using holographic technology, for augmented reality (AR) and defense applications. For AR, its capability range encompasses waveguides as well as freespace holographic element combiners. It is positioned as a solutions company, preferring to work directly with clients on product development and manufacturing rather than offering a defined product range.

A major, five-year clinical trial to test a treatment strategy for children with cerebral palsy using patented and patent-pending inventions comprising a lightweight, wearable robotic device that provides neuromuscular training while making walking easier.

Lumus is an Israeli company which designs optical engines for AR/MR and head mounted display (HMD) devices. These optical engines are composed of a display and reflective (geometric) waveguide - Lumus' key expertise are in the design of these waveguides, which can expand the exit pupil in two dimensions. These waveguides, originally invented by Lumus, are mass-produced via license by original design manufacturers (ODM) partner firms, although Lumus has its own smaller production line for military products and R&D work.

Ultrathin nanomaterials, known as MXenes, are poised to make it easier to monitor a person's well-being by analyzing their perspiration. While they share a similar two-dimensional nature to graphene, MXenes are composed of nontoxic metals, such as titanium, in combination with carbon or nitrogen atoms. With naturally high conductivity and strong surface charges, MXenes are attractive candidates for biosensors that can detect small changes to chemical concentrations.

Researchers have developed a technique to improve the flexibility of ultra-thin electronics, such as those used in bendable devices or clothing. Published in Science Advances, the study details the use of water vapor plasma to directly bond gold electrodes fixed onto separate ultra-thin polymer films, without needing adhesives or high temperatures.

The cochlear implant is the most successful neural prosthesis worldwide. Thanks to direct stimulation of the auditory nerve, it enables more than half a million people worldwide to hear, even though those affected were born deaf or deafened. Researchers have developed a method to convert the stimulation electrodes of common cochlear implants into electrochemical sensors.

Researchers have developed a rechargeable lithium-ion battery in the form of an ultra-long fiber that could be woven into fabrics. The battery could enable a wide variety of wearable electronic devices, and might even be used to make 3D-printed batteries in virtually any shape.

From wide-ranging body movements as minute as a pulse to the various movements of joints, muscles and limbs, wearable pressure sensors placed directly on the skin may be used in myriad ways to monitor health. Other types of skin sensors can monitor health indicators through measurement of sweat and temperature on the skin's surface.

Scientists have shown how electricity is transported in printed 2D materials, paving the way for design of flexible devices for healthcare and beyond.

Scientists have developed a lightweight material that traps thermal energy when dry, but opens a series of tiny vents to let heat escape when a person starts sweating. The vents close again to retain heat once they are dry.

Recon Health announced its partnership with greenTEG to integrate greenTEG's proprietary CALERA core body temperature sensor solution for continuous and non-invasive core body temperature measurement into Recon Health's Virtual Care Patch for remote patient monitoring and diagnostics.