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Category: wearables

Wearable thermoelectric technology uses thin films to generate electricity from body heat

Seoul National University College of Engineering has announced that a research team led by Prof. Jeonghun Kwak of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, with co-first authors Dr. Juhyung Park and Dr. Sun Hong Kim, has developed a flexible and thin “pseudo-transverse thermoelectric generator” capable of producing electricity from body heat. The research findings appear in Science Advances.

Thermoelectric generators, which convert temperature differences into electricity, are attracting attention as a next-generation energy technology for wearable electronics because they can supply power without batteries. In particular, thin-film thermoelectric generators are lightweight and flexible, allowing them to be comfortably attached to skin or clothing.

However, this thin structure also presents a limitation. Thermoelectric generators require a temperature difference between hot and cold sides to generate electricity. When such a device is attached flat to the skin, body heat passes directly through the thin film and dissipates into the surrounding air—similar to heat passing through a sheet of paper. As a result, little to no temperature difference is formed across the device, making electricity generation difficult.

Insulin resistance prediction from wearables and routine blood biomarkers

A machine-learning model that integrates data from wearable devices (such as smartwatches) with blood biomarkers and demographic data can predict whether someone has insulin resistance, enabling timely lifestyle interventions to prevent progression to type 2 diabetes.

Mechanically activated liquid metal powder lets users draw circuits on paper

What if electronic circuits could be created simply by drawing lines with a pencil on paper or leaves—and then immediately applied to soft robots or skin-attached health monitoring devices? Korean researchers have developed an electronic materials technology that forms electrically conductive liquid metal in a fine powder form, allowing circuits to be drawn directly on a wide variety of surfaces.

This technology presents new possibilities for next-generation flexible electronics, including applications on paper and plastic as well as in soft robotic systems and wearable devices. The research was published in Advanced Functional Materials.

A research team led by Distinguished Professor Inkyu Park from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, in collaboration with Dr. Hye Jin Kim’s team at the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), has developed a liquid metal powder-based electronic material technology that allows electronic circuits to be directly drawn on desired surfaces.

Brain-inspired device could lead to faster, more energy-efficient AI hardware

A team led by engineers at the University of California San Diego has developed a new brain-inspired hardware platform that could help computer hardware keep pace with the explosive growth of artificial intelligence. By combining memory and computation on the same chip—and allowing its components to interact collectively like neurons in the brain—the brain-inspired platform improved the speed, accuracy, and energy efficiency of pattern recognition in two simulated tasks: recognizing spoken digits and detecting epileptic seizures early from brain-wave recordings.

The approach could lead to the development of compact, energy-efficient hardware for smaller AI systems such as those used in wearable health monitors, smart sensors, and other autonomous devices.

The work, published on March 9 in Nature Nanotechnology, falls within the field of neuromorphic computing, which aims to build machines that mimic how the brain processes information. The researchers emphasize that the technology is brain-inspired, rather than brain-like; it draws ideas from how neural networks interact but does not attempt to replicate the brain itself.

Heavy water expands energy potential of carbon nanotube yarns

Researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas have developed a new electrolyte system that significantly boosts the energy-harvesting performance of twistrons, which are carbon nanotube yarns that generate electricity when repeatedly stretched. The findings could aid in the manufacturing of intelligent textiles, such as fabrics used to make spacesuits, that would power wearable electronic devices or sensors by harvesting energy from human motion.

In a study published in ACS Nano, the UT Dallas scientists and their collaborators reported that replacing conventional water with heavy water in the neutral electrolyte solution that bathes the twistrons significantly increased energy output from the yarns.

Normal water comprises hydrogen and oxygen atoms. In heavy water, the hydrogen is replaced with deuterium, a form of hydrogen that contains an added neutron in its nucleus.

Cuffless Devices for the Measurement of Blood Pressure: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

Cuffless BP devices have the potential to increase access and overcome barriers to BP screening, particularly for underresourced communities. Individuals from these communities—including people from rural areas, with low income, or from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups—often have a higher prevalence of hypertension and uncontrolled BP than their counterparts and face barriers to accessing health care services, including regular BP monitoring and confirmation of office BP with ABPM.32–34

One of the primary barriers to BP screening in underresourced communities is a lack of health care facilities and trained physicians.35 Cuffless devices, which are often portable and convenient and can be incorporated into everyday objects (eg, watches, smartphones), can be deployed in homes, in community centers, among lay community health workers, and by individuals themselves.4,5,36 This accessibility eliminates the need for individuals to travel long distances to receive basic health screenings, making it easier for residents of rural areas, or areas with shortages of health care professionals, to monitor their out-of-office BP regularly.

Cost is a major barrier hindering access to health care and traditional BP monitoring methods for individuals from underresourced populations, many of whom may be uninsured or underinsured. Cuffless BP devices could theoretically reduce costs, particularly when integrated into wearable or mobile devices that consumers purchase for multiple uses.36 However, because of the limitations of cuffless devices, including the need for calibration with additional purchased devices and insufficient accuracy, cost-effectiveness remains speculative.

Copper Single-Atoms Loaded on Molybdenum Disulphide Drive Bacterial Cuproptosis-Like Death and Interrupt Drug-Resistance Compensation Pathways

111. Wenqi Wang, Xiaolong Wei, Bolong Xu, Hengshuo Gui, Yan Yan*, Huiyu Liu* & Xianwen Wang* Nano-Micro Lett. 18,111 (2026).

This work is led by Prof. Dr. Xianwen Wang (Anhui Medical University) and co-workers. Prof. Wang’s research centers on burn wounds and tissue regeneration, burn infection, design and development of antimicrobial nanomaterials, development of anti-inflammatory nano-formulations and study on their anti-inflammatory mechanisms. This article develops copper single-atom-loaded MoS₂ nanozymes (Cu SAs/MoS₂) that combat drug-resistant bacteria through a triple mechanism of oxidative damage, cuproptosis-like death, and disrupted cell wall synthesis. Density functional theory reveals that Cu coordination enhances H₂O₂ adsorption, reducing activation energy by 17% and boosting peroxidase-like activity, while glutathione peroxidase-like activity disrupts redox homeostasis and inhibition of peptidoglycan synthesis blocks cell wall remodeling, collectively enabling efficient bacterial killing and decelerating resistance development.

Related articles: Cactus Thorn-Inspired Janus Nanofiber Membranes as a Water Diode for Light-Enhanced Diabetic Wound Healing https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-01904-z Synergistic Ferroptosis–Immunotherapy Nanoplatforms: Multidimensional Engineering for Tumor Microenvironment Remodeling and Therapeutic Optimization https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-01862-6 Wearable Ultrasound Devices for Therapeutic Applications https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-01890-2

The development of highly efficient and multifunctional nanozymes holds promise for addressing the challenges posed by drug-resistant bacteria. Here, copper single-atom-loaded MoS2 nanozymes (Cu SAs/MoS2) were developed to effectively combat drug-resistant bacteria by synergistically integrating the triple strategies of oxidative damage, cuproptosis-like death and disruption of cell wall synthesis. Density functional theory revealed that each Cu center coordinated with three sulfur ligands, enhancing the adsorption of H2O2, which reduced the activation energy of the key step by 17%, thereby improving peroxidase-like (POD-like) activity. The generation of reactive oxygen species in combination with Cu SAs/MoS2 glutathione peroxidase-like (GSH-Px-like) for glutathione scavenging resulted in an imbalance in redox homeostasis within bacteria.

Listening to the body’s quietest, yet most dynamic movements with a wearable sensor

The human body continuously generates a rich spectrum of vibrations—often without us ever noticing. Everyday unconscious activities such as breathing, speaking, and swallowing all produce subtle yet distinct mechanical signals. Although these faint vibrations carry valuable information about physiological state, they have long been difficult to capture accurately using conventional wearable devices.

Recently, a research team led by Professor Kilwon Cho of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), along with Ph.D. candidate Kang Hyuk Cho and postdoctoral researcher Dr. Jeng-Hun Lee, has developed a wearable vibration sensor capable of precisely detecting these subtle yet highly dynamic signals, without requiring any external power source. This breakthrough opens new possibilities for wearable medical and health care technologies and demonstrates strong potential as a core sensing platform for next-generation smart devices. The work was published in the inaugural issue of Nature Sensors.

Sounds produced by the human body span a wide range of frequencies. Physiological signals such as breathing, swallowing, and speech typically occur at lower frequencies, while sounds such as coughing or groaning emerge at relatively higher frequencies. Accurately capturing these signals requires precise detection of the minute vibrations transmitted to the skin surface across a broad frequency spectrum.

Apple’s Next Big Thing Is a Push Into Visual Artificial Intelligence

Apple CEO Tim Cook is signaling that Visual Intelligence will be the defining feature of the company’s push into wearable AI devices. Also: What to expect from Apple’s first product launches of the year during the week of March 2; the iPhone 18 Pro’s color options; and the latest on iOS 26.4.

Last week in Power On: Tesla CarPlay support was held back by the need for wider adoption of iOS 26.

Nanotubes unlock new wavelengths for smarter sensing

Sensors made of carbon nanotubes that can measure infrared and terahertz radiation are being tested for uses ranging from detecting damaged cables after earthquakes, to collecting health data via ultrathin wearable devices, and assisting with pharmaceutical quality control, say researchers in Japan.

“Accurately visualizing the internal structures of organisms and objects is integral to our daily lives, from medical imaging to security scanning in airports,” and terahertz sensors built from carbon nanotubes are uniquely suited to this purpose, says Yukio Kawano is a professor of engineering at Chuo University in Tokyo, and project leader at the Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (KISTEC) in Japan.

Compared with many sensor technologies that can only detect one part of the electromagnetic spectrum, Kawano’s team is working to create sensors that can detect terahertz and a broader range of radiation, and use them to produce high-resolution images.

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