wearable electronics

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) causes people to lose control of their muscles – unfortunately, this often eventually causes them to lose their ability to speak. A new skin-worn device, however, could still let them communicate with others.

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a new type of wearable electric generator, which harvests energy from the wind as you walk. The team says it’s low cost and efficient enough to power small sensors and LEDs.

Face masks are here to stay for a while yet – so you might as well have some fun with them. The JabberMask is a voice-activated wearable packed with LEDs that move like a mouth in time with your speech, and can smile or display emojis on demand.

Haptic feedback is becoming a bigger part of entertainment. Now, a German startup is launching the Feelbelt, which adds the element of touch to games, music, movies, and basically any other device that outputs sound.

Engineers from North Carolina State University have developed a thin, stretchable electronic wearable sleeve that allows the user's skin to breathe, making for more comfortable long-term use as a biomedical sensor or human-machine interface.

Even in noisy environments, most of us are able to understand what another person is saying by "focusing" our hearing on their voice. Although regular hearing aids are currently unable to do so, that may change if a new prototype reaches production.

Being able to track a morning jog and listen to some tunes without carrying a phone around is surely one of the key selling points of modern-day smartwatches – so why not combine the smartwatch and a pair of wireless earbuds in one compact form?

In what may be either the most discreet or the most conspicuous of wearable electronics, a team of researchers led by Desheng Kong has developed a prototype stretchable stopwatch sticker that can be adhered to the back of a person's hand.

​When it comes to the continuous monitoring of people's vital signs, the rigid electrodes that are typically adhered to the skin can be uncomfortable, awkward, and a cause of skin irritation. That's where a new soft, flexible, wireless monitor is designed to come in.

​According to the American Heart Association, about one third of Americans can't estimate their daily sodium intake. If someone has a condition such as hypertension, obesity or diabetes, then knowing the correct figure is important – which is why scientists have developed an oral sodium sensor.

Australia is looking into equipping soldiers with a personal "black box" that will act as a combination data recorder and emergency beacon under a AU$700,000 (US$567,000) contract by the Department of Defence to develop the device called the "Flight Recorder."

For a wearable electronic sensor to be truly practical it would need to be comfortable when worn for extended periods of time. A team at the University of Tokyo has now developed a breathable nanoscale mesh that can be safely worn for a week without causing any skin irritation.