How Wearable Sensors Can Provide Comfort and Improve Health

Wearable sensors
Image: Wikimedia commons

The ever-increasing number of elderlies and escalating healthcare expenses are driving people to choose various fitness wearables to track their activity and improve health. As a result, wearable makers have focused on integrating wearable sensors in clothes, shoes, and even on bodies.

Advances in eHealth and mHealth systems are increasing the use of digital technology in healthcare.

Sensors can help the healthcare industry enormously. As we can see, sensors are now critical in remote patient monitoring. Sensors can help in detecting blood sugar levels in patients and transmit the captured data to doctors, enabling them to analyze the sensor-collected data and initiate personalized treatments and medications for patients, reports IT Business Net.

Thus, the demand for wearable sensors has increased in the last few years. According to research firm, Allied Market Research, the wearable sensors market is projected to reach $2.258 billion by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 52.9% from 2016 to 2022.

Scientists are now trying to develop wearable devices that use solar power or even body heat, because continuous connectivity demands an extended battery life for the wearables.

sensor
Image: Vaxxas nanopatch

Smartwatch Powered by Body Heat

Smartwatch maker Matrix has unveiled a new smartwatch called the PowerWatch 2, which is loaded with features like step count, heart rate monitor, notification and GPS, and needs only body heat and solar power to run.

Launched at the CES 2019, the PowerWatch 2 is a follow-up to last year’s PowerWatch X that was powered entirely by the body heat emitted from your wrist. The new watch also has Android and iOS companion apps, and third-party functionality with services like Google Fit and Apple HealthKit.

Wearable Sensors to Help Quit Smoking

iMorph, a company that integrates wearable self-help smart technology announced its flagship smoking cessation product, CigFree SmartBand, is being readied as a prototype for its clinical trial to demonstrate efficacy for quitting smoking. “CigFree SmartBand” is the first all-natural healthy non-invasive low-cost solution for quitting smoking.

Wearable Sensors to Protect You from UV Ray

Too much ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or sunbeds is the main cause of skin cancer. Scientists at the Northwestern Medicine and Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering have developed the world’s smallest wearable, battery-free device to measure exposure to light across multiple wavelengths, from the ultra violet (UV), to visible and even infrared parts of the solar spectrum. The sensor has been shown to separately and precisely monitor both UVA and UVB exposure for individuals at higher risk of developing melanoma. During a study where human participants wore the sensor, it recorded multiple forms of light exposure during outdoor activities, even when the user was in the water.

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Cathy Russey
Cathy Russey () is Online Editor at WT | Wearable Technologies and specialized in writing about the latest medical wearables and enabling technologies on the market. Cathy can be contacted at info(at)wearable-technologies.com.