New system developed for wearable devices that can detect stress
Using silver
wire network on a stretchable material, scientists have developed a device that
senses strain, mimics pain perception and adapts its electrical response
accordingly. By recreating these pain-like responses, the device paves the way
for future smart wearable systems that can help doctors detect stress.
In today's world, technology that can feel and adapt like
human senses is increasingly valuable. Areas ranging from healthcare to
robotics, needs materials that can "sense" stress or pain. They can
enhance safety, make wearable tech smarter, and improve human-machine
interactions.
Neuromorphic
devices—technology inspired by the brain—gives ideas about how the human body
senses and responds to pain. In our bodies, special sensors called nociceptors detect
pain and help us respond to harmful situations. Over time, with repeated
exposure, one can actually feel pain less intensely through a process called
habituation.
Scientists from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced
Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, an autonomous institute of Department
of Science and Technology were inspired by this idea and ventured to create a
sensor that not only detects strain but also adapts and “learns” from it. Using
a network of tiny silver wires embedded in a flexible, stretchable material
they developed a material that can sense strain and adjust its response over
time.
When the material is stretched, small gaps appear within
the silver network, temporarily breaking the electrical pathway. An electric
pulse can then prompt the silver to fill these gaps, reconnecting the network
and essentially "remembering" the event. Each time it is stretched
and reconnected, the device gradually adjusts its response, much like how our
bodies adapt to repeated pain over time. This dynamic process enables the
device to mimic memory and adaptation, bringing humans closer to materials that
respond intelligently to their environment.
The
device sets itself apart by combining sensing and adaptive response in a
single, flexible unit and offers a streamlined, efficient way for technology to
adapt to its environment naturally, without complex setups or external sensors.
The research published in the journal Materials Horizons,
Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) could lead to more advanced health monitoring
systems that "feel" stress like the human body and adapt in
real-time, giving feedback to doctors or users. Such technology could also
improve robotic systems, helping machines become safer and more intuitive to
work with humans.