Recently, wearable electronics have entered our lives very tightly, and you will not surprise anyone with various sensors, trackers and smart watches on the wrist. But, perhaps, very soon, all these gadgets can be considered a relic of the past. Meet: sticker chips.
A group of inventors led by Kim Yonghoon is behind the new development. Microcircuits can be easily attached to almost any area of the skin. Moreover, they have a fairly high strength and can stretch freely without damaging the parts of the device.
The sensors do not need additional recharging from the mains and receive the necessary energy "over the air" from a special power source, the range of which is about 20 meters. The built-in battery lasts for several days of continuous use. The technology is responsible for data transfer, similar in principle to the Apple Pay system: each device generates a unique code that is perceived by only one smartphone, to which all information is displayed.
Various indicators of the body that the device can read are not limited to the banal measurement of the pulse. Chips-stickers are able to accurately determine the level of blood oxygen saturation, measure the level of ultraviolet radiation, pressure, body temperature.
The scope of this technology goes far beyond fitness applications and can be used for medical purposes. A number of medical centers are already interested in the development and are ready to conduct trials to monitor patients with diseases of the cardiovascular system.
The developers themselves argue that this is far from the limit of the capabilities of this technology, and in the future they plan to expand the capabilities of the prototype by adding new functions, in particular, the ability to monitor blood sugar levels.
VLADIMIR KUZNETSOV
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