Nanoengineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a “wearable microgrid” that harvests and stores energy from the human body to power small electronics. It consists of three main parts: sweat-powered biofuel cells, motion-powered devices called triboelectric generators, and energy-storing supercapacitors. All parts are flexible, washable and can be screen printed onto clothing.
A year onwards, COVID-19 is still among us, and hitting us hard. Restrictions to battle the disease are in place worldwide as we try to keep our healthcare systems up and running. As a result of this current pandemic, people are expected to keep a safe distance from each other. No more hugs from friends and family, no more slaps on the shoulder from colleagues. But when people are not allowed to get close physically, feelings of loneliness and insecurity can arise. With International Hugging Day on 21 January 2021, we need an alternative, and that is just what TNO at Holst Centre has made possible.
The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Taiwan’s largest and one of the world’s leading high-tech applied research institutions, demonstrates e-health wearable technologies at its CES 2021 event site. ITRI’s e-health wearable technologies include iCardioGuard for long-term real-time monitoring of physiological and psychological status for home and elderly care; Heart Guardian for continuous real-time monitoring of patients with heart disease; iSmartweaR for measuring physiological conditions including heart rate and respiratory rate using smart textiles; and iDarlingWeaR for infant healthcare featuring ITRI's harmless low-power radar sensing technology.
