August 16, 2026
Picture being able to spot a worrying health condition, or to track your body while you work out, as it happens. What if a bendable patch stitched into your clothing could read your sweat? That future is already here: researchers at Tufts University (USA) have built the first patch of its kind.
Wearable sweat sensors let engineers read health markers.
Picture being able to spot a worrying health condition, or to track your body while you work out, as it happens. What if a bendable patch stitched into your clothing could read your sweat? That future is already here: researchers at Tufts University (USA) have built the first patch of its kind.
According to the researchers, the device brings together “special sensing threads, electronic components, and wireless connectivity for real-time data acquisition, storage, and processing.”
Its makers move past the usual step counts and heart-rate readings. By stepping into the metabolic realm, they aim for a direct signal of our health, offering deeper insight into athletic performance, chronic conditions, illnesses that have yet to be diagnosed, and beyond.
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In real time, the patch reads biomarkers in the wearer’s sweat. These include:
- sodium
- ammonium ions (electrolytes)
- lactate (a breakdown product or metabolite)
- acidity (pH)
