Wearables

ON Semiconductor has been chosen by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) as a CES 2017 Innovation Awards honoree in two different categories. The announcement was made at the CTA’s annual CES Unveiled New York event - with the company’s Ezairo 7150 SL audio processing hybrid module being cited in the Tech for a Better World category, plus its Smart Passive Sensor (SPS) solution doing the same in the Embedded Technology category.

u-blox announced its components are at the core of two new cutting-edge GNSS products. The golf rangefinder wearables were launched by Voice Caddie, a leading international brand of rangefinders and trackers based in South Korea. The first product, the T3 Hybrid Golf GPS Watch, uses the compact u-blox UBX-G7020-KT professional-grade GNSS chip, which links with GPS/QZSS or GLONASS satellite systems.

Dutch start-up e-Senses, in collaboration with Holst Centre, has developed the world's first personal sunlight, daylight and vitamin D coach. The Helios smart ring gives wearers feedback on the amount of sunlight they receive and how much vitamin D they create, personalised to their skin type and behavior. It lets people find the perfect balance between sun safety and getting enough vitamin D.

It’s only a matter of time before drugs are administered via patches with painless microneedles instead of unpleasant injections. But designers need to balance the need for flexible, comfortable-to-wear material with effective microneedle penetration of the skin. Researchers from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm say they may have cracked the problem.

Developers of heart rate and blood oxygen (SpO2) monitors can now accelerate their efforts using the ultra-small MAXREFDES117# reference design from Maxim Integrated Products. This optical heart-rate module reference design incorporates red and infrared LEDs, a sensor, power subsystem, and logic level translation. Measuring 13mm x 13mm, this tiny, low-power board can be placed on a finger or earlobe to accurately detect heart rate and SpO2 v...

The IR Topled D5140 photodiode from Osram Opto Semiconductors requires considerably less PC board space than before, allowing for more compact sensors to be embedded in a design. The spectral sensitivity of the D5140 has been optimised for visible light and allows precise heart rate measurements using red or green light.  

The AD8233 analogue front end (AFE) for heart monitor devices from Analog Devices is now being shipped by Mouser Electronics. The AD8233 AFE is a fully integrated, single-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) front end designed in a compact, easy-to-use component. The low-power biopotential AFE enables smaller, lighter, and less obtrusive cardiac monitoring devices with longer battery life.

A Northwestern University research team has developed a first-of-its-kind soft, flexible microfluidic device that easily adheres to the skin and measures the wearer's sweat to show how his or her body is responding to exercise. A little larger than a quarter and about the same thickness, the simple, low-cost device analyses key biomarkers to help a person decide quickly if any adjustments, such as drinking more water or replenishing electrol...

A type of acoustic sensor that resembles a small Band-Aid on the skin can monitor your heartbeat and other health measures, researchers say. The sensor may one day offer a way to painlessly and wirelessly track an individual's health. The patch, which weighs less than one-hundredth of an ounce, can help doctors monitor heart health, stomach condition, vocal cord activity, lung performance and potentially many other bodily functions, research...

Designers can now easily develop high-performance fitness and medical wearable devices with enhanced functionality using the MAX32630 and MAX32631 ARM Cortex-M4F microcontrollers from Maxim Integrated Products. With the fast-growing market for personal wellness and medical wearable applications, new complex demands are being placed on the internal electronic components of devices.