One of the risks for the fitness enthusiasts is dehydration. When an athlete performs some sweaty workouts, he/she always runs the risk of not having enough fluids in the body which leads to dangerous consequences.
Researchers at the North Carolina State University have come up with a solution for this issue. They have developed a smart wearable which pairs with a fitness tracker via Bluetooth and measures your skin hydration levels in real-time.
Along with being a life saver for the 5K runners, the wearable is also a valuable tool for people working in stressful conditions who struggle to keep track of the amount of their water intake.
John Muth, co-author of the paper describing the work, said,
“It’s difficult to measure a person’s hydration quantitatively, which is relevant for everyone from military personnel to athletes to firefighters, who are at risk of health problems related to heat stress when training or in the field,”
The researchers think that the sensors can also track hydration in medicine and even cosmetics to determine the effectiveness of moisturizer. The sensors work by using two electrodes that monitor the “electrical properties of the skin.” These electrodes consist of an elastic polymer composite containing conductive silver nanowires.
The electrode sensors can be worn by an adhesive chest patch as well as through a wristband. Both of the patches come with a full suite of monitoring technology and Bluetooth capabilities, which send the data wirelessly to other devices for monitoring.
The creators claim that the rigid probe-like devices can cost as little as one dollar per piece to produce, with total manufacturing costs comparable with tracking devices, like the Fitbit.
The paper detailing the technology titled “A Wearable Hydration Monitor with Conformal Nanowire Electrodes” is published in the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials.
We would love to read your comments’ on the utility of this hydration tracker!
