Daijiworld Media Network- Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Jan 17: In a groundbreaking development in wearable technology, researchers from the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, have designed an innovative device that mimics the human body’s response to pain for real-time stress detection.
This cutting-edge technology offers a transformative approach to health monitoring, enabling smarter and more efficient systems that provide instant feedback to users and healthcare professionals.
A revolutionary device
The wearable device is built using a flexible, stretchable material embedded with a network of silver wires. Unlike conventional sensors, this device is designed to “learn” and adapt to repeated stress, mimicking the human nervous system’s response to pain.
Key features of the device include:
• Dynamic adaptation: The device adjusts its electrical response over time, similar to how the human body becomes habituated to repetitive pain or stress.
• Neuromorphic design: Inspired by nociceptors—specialized pain sensors in the human nervous system—the device adapts to stimuli and “remembers” stress events, enabling more efficient and accurate responses.
How it works
When the stretchable material is elongated, small gaps form in the silver wire network, disrupting the electrical pathway. A pulse of electricity is then applied to reconnect the network, effectively "remembering" the event.
Each time the material is stretched, the device refines its response, becoming more effective in handling stress over time. This ability to integrate sensing and adaptive responses within a single unit sets it apart from traditional sensors that rely on external components or complex setups.
Applications and implications
The adaptive stress-sensing technology has wide-ranging applications:
• Healthcare: Real-time monitoring of stress levels in patients, providing instant feedback to doctors for better management of high-risk situations.
• Robotics: Enabling machines to mimic human-like sensory responses, improving human-machine interactions, and ensuring safer operations in collaborative environments.
The research, published in Materials Horizons by the Royal Society of Chemistry, also highlights its potential to revolutionize robotics. By allowing machines to "sense" stress, the technology could make robots more intuitive, responsive, and safer when working alongside humans.
A human-centric future
This breakthrough represents a significant leap toward creating intelligent, adaptable technologies that closely replicate human sensory systems. By integrating stress detection and response into wearable and robotic systems, this innovation paves the way for more responsive, human-centric advancements in healthcare and robotics.