This kind of technology is something only people have seen in the science-fiction movie, "Star Trek," where a tricorder machine is capable of gathering data of a human body. However, people will truly see this type of techonology soon as scientists have developed a wearable and flexible device that can track biochemical and electric signals in the body.
According to Eureka Alert, the wearable device is called Chem-Phys patch, which is developed by a group of engineers from the University of California San Diego. It tracks the human heart rate or electrocardiogram (EKG) and the lactate produced in the body, which indicates the physical effort, and it also works in real time.
It can be placed on the chest and it can wirelessly access smartphones, smartwatch or even laptop. The device is also ideal for sports enthusiasts, who need to track their workout routines, as well as for medical purposes like recording patients' heart rates. Nanoengineers and electrical engineers teamed up to create the Chem-Phys patch at the UC San Diego Center for Wearable Sensors.
The device has sensors that are placed on a flexible thin polyester sheet. Its EKG sensors are covered with water-resistant silicone, which protects the device against sweating, while the lactate sensors have none. Smartphone devices or computers will receive the gathered information through Bluetooth, Digital Trends reported.
Scientists have been creating different prototypes to know the right distance of the sensors and to make sure the sensors will not overlap. The Chem-Phys has been only tested on three people and discovered that the EKG has similar accurate data with fitness bands.
The device is still not fully developed as a product in the market; however, the developers revealed that it already sets its eyes on Olympians' devices. This could also become a great move for development of the device. The team of engineers is also working to add another sensor on the device, which will work for chemical markers.
