Will we soon have sensors directly printed on our skin? In any case, this is what a new technology developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge suggests. They have succeeded in designing adaptive and ecological sensors that can be printed directly and imperceptibly on various biological surfaces, such as a finger or a flower petal.
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Technology inspired by nature
This fiber, 50 times finer than a human hair, is so light that it was printed directly into a dandelion seed head without destroying its structure. To create this material, researchers took inspiration from spider silk and integrated bioelectric elements.
In human skin, these sensors do not block pores and the wearer is not even aware of their presence. To create the fiber, the solution developed by the researchers is introduced into a syringe, then a drop is spread out using a rotating arm. The whole thing produces little waste and emissions, making it an environmentally friendly solution.
Many possible applications
The potential applications of such technology are numerous. In the skin, these sensors could be used to continuously monitor the wearer’s health. The same goes for environmental monitoring, if applied to a biological surface. Use in electronic textiles or even in the skin to improve sensations in virtual reality is also possible.
Regarding the continuation of the program, Professor Yan Yan Shery Huang says: “The immediate next step is to establish application-based scenarios, to determine which part of the sensor system should be fabricated with imperceptible fibers, and which part can use existing microfabricated/e-textile devices.“
To find out more, read (in English) by following this link.
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