University of Surrey develops battery-free nanosensor wearables
Nanosensors that work without batteries or wires could pave the way for more comfortable, less obtrusive sleep and healthcare monitoring at home, according to scientists at the University of Surrey
Nanosensors that work without batteries or wires could pave the way for more comfortable, less obtrusive sleep and healthcare monitoring at home, according to scientists at the University of Surrey.
Unlike conventional wearables, these new sensors are unintrusive and battery free.
The technology is designed as a soft sensor mat that can be integrated into clothing or next-generation wearables, harvesting its own power from gentle movements such as breathing, walking or turning during sleep.
The sensor, designed to monitor sleep is a mat that goes under to mattress so it can detect movements without being in direct contact with the user
Developed at Surrey’s Advanced Technology Institute (ATI), researchers tested a set of 16 sensors that were able to track different sleep patterns and body movements.
It highlights potential applications in sleep disorder monitoring and dementia care – where comfort, reliability and continuous data collection are vital.
Sajib Roy, who is a postgraduate student at the University who worked on the sensors, explained to us how the sensors fundamentally work
"Simply, if you press on the sensor, it will give you an electrical signal. Depending on the pressure distribution or depending on how much pressure you are applying on the sensor, the signal is different."
He added that due to the unintrusive nature of the mat, it could be revolutionary for dementia care
"Our device is going underneath the mattress so it is comfortable. Whereas in other sensors you have to think about wearing a lot of things. It is something which is the future of dementia care."
The full paper regarding nano-sensors can be found here