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Category: wearables – Page 13

The Future of Wearable AI Assistants

While using the Meta AI chatbot on WhatsApp it answered my query with some great advice.

It almost felt like I had some support from a good friend.

I was kind of taken aback by the answer. Since I purchased the Ray-Ban \ Meta Wayfarers I have jokingly told people that I am wearing a large language model on my face. I came to find out that information is incorrect.

Meta AI responded, “That’s a cool device! Unfortunately, I’m not compatible with the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses (yet!). I exist solely as a text-based AI assistant, so you can’t talk to me directly through the glasses.”

It continued, “However, you can use the glasses to access a device with a keyboard or voice-to-text functionality, and then interact with me through text. Keep in mind that I’m constantly evolving, so who knows? Maybe future updates will enable voice interactions or compatibility with devices like your Meta glasses!”

‘Electric Plastic’ Could Merge Technology With the Body in Future Wearables and Implants

Finding ways to connect the human body to technology could have broad applications in health and entertainment. A new “electric plastic” could make self-powered wearables, real-time neural interfaces, and medical implants that merge with our bodies a reality.

While there has been significant progress in the development of wearable and implantable technology in recent years, most electronic materials are hard, rigid, and feature toxic metals. A variety of approaches for creating “soft electronics” has emerged, but finding ones that are durable, power-efficient, and easy to manufacture is a significant challenge.

Organic ferroelectric materials are promising because they exhibit spontaneous polarization, which means they have a stable electric field pointing in a particular direction. This polarization can be flipped by applying an external electrical field, allowing them to function like a bit in a conventional computer.

DGIST–Jeonbuk National University Joint Research Team Successfully Developed Ultra-Sensitive Electronic Skin Modeled after the Human Brain!

DGIST Professor Youngu Lee and Jeonbuk National University Professor Jaehyuk Lim successfully developed an ultra-sensitive, transparent, and flexible electronic skin mimicking the neural network in the human brain. — Applicable across different areas, including healthcare wearable devices and transparent display touch panels.

Stretchable transistors used in wearable devices enable in-sensor edge computing

Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) are neuromorphic transistors made of carbon-based materials that combine both electronic and ionic charge carriers. These transistors could be particularly effective solutions for amplifying and switching electronic signals in devices designed to be placed on the human skin, such as smart watches, trackers that monitor physiological signals and other wearable technologies.

In contrast with conventional neuromorphic transistors, OECTs could operate reliably in wet or humid environments, which would be highly advantageous for both medical and wearable devices. Despite their potential, most existing OECTs are based on stiff materials, which can reduce the comfort of wearables and thus hinder their large-scale deployment.

Researchers at the University of Hong Kong have developed a new wearable device based on stretchable OECTs that can both perform computations and collect signals from the surrounding environment. Their proposed system, presented in a paper published in Nature Electronics, could be used to realize in-sensor edge computing on a flexible wearable device that is comfortable for users.

First healthcare device powered by body heat made possible with liquid-based metals

In the age of technology everywhere, we are all too familiar with the inconvenience of a dead battery. But for those relying on a wearable healthcare device to monitor glucose, reduce tremors, or even track heart function, taking time to recharge can pose a big risk.

For the first time, researchers in Carnegie Mellon University have shown that a healthcare device can be powered using body heat alone. By combining a pulse oximetry sensor with a flexible, stretchable, wearable thermoelectric energy generator composed of liquid metal, semiconductors, and 3D printed rubber, the team has introduced a promising way to address battery life concerns.

Stretchable, wearable device lights up an LED using only the warmth of your skin

One of the drawbacks of fitness trackers and other wearable devices is that their batteries eventually run out of juice. But what if in the future, wearable technology could use body heat to power itself?

UW researchers have developed a flexible, durable electronic prototype that can harvest energy from body heat and turn it into electricity that can be used to power small electronics, such as batteries, sensors or LEDs. This device is also resilient — it still functions even after being pierced several times and then stretched 2,000 times.

The team detailed these prototypes in a paper published in Advanced Materials (“3D Soft Architectures for Stretchable Thermoelectric Wearables with Electrical Self-Healing and Damage Tolerance”).

Exploring The Journey Of Digital Transformation In Manufacturing

But what if you’re a manufacturer without the budget, bandwidth or time to invest in advanced digital transformation right now? You can still take practical steps to move forward. Start with fundamental data collection and analytic tools to lay the groundwork. Leveraging visibility solutions like barcode scanning, wearables or other basic Internet of Things (IoT) devices can help monitor machines and provide insights and improvements.

Quality is the final piece of the equation. Once you’re further down the path to transformation, implement visibility solutions and augment and upskill workers with technology to optimize quality. To drive quality even further, add advanced automation solutions. You don’t have to boil the ocean on your digital transformation journey—take it one step at a time from wherever you’re starting.

Most manufacturers (87%) in Zebra’s study agree it’s a challenge to pilot new technologies or move beyond the pilot phase, yet they plan to advance digital maturity by 2029. With the right technology tools and solutions in place to advance visibility, augment workers and optimize quality, they will get there.