Recent Advances in Smart Wearable Sensing Systems

Abstract

a research field that integrates a highly diverse range of researchers and practitioners, including electronics, bioengineering, systems engineering, materials science, and other interdisciplinary expertise. [12][13][14][15] However, wearable sensors currently face great challenges because they are still in the initial stage of development. [16] For example, wearable sensors need to be integrated into the proper shape surfaces with compatibility, durability, and abrasion resistance. [17,18] Existing commercial wearable sensing devices are mainly implemented by encapsulating integrated circuits on rigid packaged solid substrates. But rigid packages are not mechanically compatible with soft and curved human bodies, resulting in unreliable measurement results due to measurement positions changed and unreliable skin contact. [19,20] In addition, smart wearable sensing requires complex sensing systems, which can complete a variety of functional electronic components, including data acquisition and processing, equipment operation control, intelligent data display, and self-powered operation.Despite these challenges, new SWSS with flexibility and stretchability has been evolved over the years as the ability to process large amounts of information in real time grows rapidly. [18,21,22] Flexible and stretchable electronic devices are emerging technologies that aim to fabricate electronic circuits on "soft" substrates to achieve mechanical flexibility and stretchable of sensor components, making it possible to construct SWSS with unique characteristics, such as great conformability, excellent stretchability, low cost, and low weight. [23] Flexible sensors can capture target analytes more effectively and produce high-quality signals, while the traditional ones are unable to capture poor quality signal transduction analytes due to their rigidity hindering. [24] In particularly, users can perceive their surroundings in a convenient, effective, and timely manner with the SWSS help. In recent years, the focus on the construction of ultrathin flexible and stretchable sensors has prompted emerging applications of SWSS. [25][26][27][28] Meanwhile, the development of SWSS has become a revolutionary process in sensing technology. In general, the key factor of the SWSS is to respond quickly and accurately to the detection target and then transmit the processed data to the user in an easy to operate display mode. [18] However, despite the rapid growth of wearable and flexible sensing technologies, few SWSSs appear on the market due to their inherent limitations. Therefore, a comprehensive review and systematic summary of the latest technology in the development of SWSS will be beneficial for the entire field.Wearable technology with widespread public attention has generated tremendous economic and social impact, resulting in changes in healthcare procedures and personal lifestyle. Smart wearable sensing systems, as an important type of device in wearable technology which can detect various stimuli relevant to biological species or spe...

Flexible potentiometric pH sensors for wearable systems

“…They should also possess the capacity to conform to the user's daily activities and should not pose additional safety risks or lifestyle restrictions. [232][233][234][235] The rapid advancement of exible electronics and the recent use of natural biomaterials, such as sodium alginate, silk, chitin, cellulose, etc., as the active components and substrates of exible sensing systems has accelerated the development of more user-friendly wearable devices. [236][237][238][239][240][241][242][243] These elastic, biocompatible substrates prevent direct contact between the user and integrated sensors, evading the possibility of skin irritation.…”

Mimicking Human and Biological Skins for Multifunctional Skin Electronics

“…Wearable sensors with conventional electronics currently face a huge challenge because of their rigid and brittle nature, preventing conformal mounting on the rough surface of human skin for collecting accurate biosignals. The ideal wearable system requires a novel design of materials characterized by light weight, flexibility, user comfort, and the ability to be miniaturized as wearable sensors . Electronic skin (e‐skin) technology, which mimics the perceptive features of human skin, paves the way for the successful integration of wearable sensors with the human body for applications in health monitoring, human–machine interfaces (HMI), intelligent robots, and prostheses .…”

Bio‐Multifunctional Smart Wearable Sensors for Medical Devices

“…Because they are directly exposed to the human body, wearable medical devices are expected not to pose additional health risks and avoid restrictions on daily activities . The biocompatibility of wearable sensors with the human body is essential to avoid, causing an immune response .…”