Secreted by the skin sweat can tell a lot about the state of our body. But before his investigation could take quite a long time. What if a wearable gadget like a wristband in real time will be able to analyze the secretions of our skin? Such goal was set by the researchers from the University of California at Berkeley under the direction of Professor Ali Javey. Moreover, they even managed to create a working prototype of such a device.
“Sweat contains very extensive information about the human body. However, it is a complex fluid, so we have developed a fully integrated non-invasive system of analyzing samples of sweat and transmitting the received information to the smartphone. Our main goal is to develop a platform for monitoring body on the basis of the analysis of secretions of the sweat glands,” says Professor Ali Javey.
Bracelet in real-time monitors key chemicals in the composition of sweat with the help of an array of sensors located on a flexible circuit Board. The sensors monitor the concentration of metabolic products of glucose and lactic acid, as well as the level of electrolytes such as sodium and potassium. Additionally measure the temperature of the human skin. On the Board of the bracelet placed the CPU and the coprocessors to analyze obtained sensor data.
Based on the data the wristband concludes, for example, the hydration of the body during sports training, but also about the level of muscle fatigue. A team of researchers have tested the bracelet and its variation in the form of a sports armband for the heads up on the hundreds of volunteers who in the course of the tests performed various exercises. The data allowed scientists to collect huge data on the basis of which we developed a special mobile app.
Of course, the project is still under development, so still early to speak about the final version of the gadget. However, current advances scientists suggest that the wearable electronics of the future will offer us many more opportunities than there are on the market today.