Advancements in biomedical engineering have led to the development of a variety of ingestible sensors and moving towards insertable sensors. These are miniaturized, wireless devices capable of real-time biochemical monitoring within the body. These sensors hold significant promise for non-invasive, longitudinal health monitoring, particularly in gastrointestinal health in whole population and gynecological health in women.
Gas and chemical sensing in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract plays a critical role in diagnosing and continuously monitoring conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and food intolerances. Traditional diagnostic techniques for measuring and pinpointing the location of gases and chemicals typically involve invasive, hospital-based procedures.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme report on the Food Waste Index,1 approximately 18% of the world's food production is wasted throughout the food chain. Furthermore, food waste is responsible for around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, posing a universal challenge to both escalating global hunger and climate change. In this context, technologies that continuously assess the condition of food are necessary to prevent spoilage and subsequent waste.
Neuromorphic photonic hardware enables ultrafast, energy-efficient AI, but integrating brain-like feedback without sacrificing simplicity and scalability remains challenging. We present a self-powered optical spiking neural network (SPOSNN) unit by combining 2D-material-based synaptic and neuronal devices with silicon photonics.
Soft electronics is an emerging field with the potential to revolutionize wearable and biomedical technologies by overcoming the limitations of conventional rigid devices. In particular, printed organic nanowires are highly attractive due to their flexibility, stretchability, unidirectional charge transport, and solution processability. Here, we present our recent advances in the development of stretchable organic semiconductor nanomaterials and devices for next-generation soft bioelectronics and neuromorphics.
Recent breakthroughs in AI are driving innovation in the medical field, including medical diagnosis and virtual health assistants. Energy-based computing has recently garnered significant interest due to its potential in training generative neural networks and solving NP-hard problems. However, Conventional systems suffer from inefficiency due to von Neumann architecture and traditional annealing methods.
Real-time plant health monitoring is emerging as a crucial approach to understanding physiological processes such as plant stress signaling. Wearable sensors offer a promising strategy for monitoring crop health and detecting environmental changes. However, the development of affordable, field-deployable sensing devices remains a challenge.
The excellent stretchability and biocompatibility of flexible sensors have inspired an emerging field of plant wearables, which enable intimate contact with the plants to continuously monitor the growth status and localized microclimate in real-time. Plant flexible wearables provide a promising platform for the development of plant phenotype.
Wearable electronics bridge the gap between conventional silicon- based devices and the living biological organisms and unlock functionalities previously unattainable. In agriculture, wearable sensors for plants and animals have become a hot research area, as an essential tools for monitor physiological data from individual plants.
In this presentation, we introduce Plantronics—biointegrated plant electronics—and our development of organ-specific devices and techniques for long-term electrical monitoring of plants.
The emerging wearable plant sensors demonstrate the capability of in-situ measurement of physiological and micro-environmental information of plants. However, the stretchability and breathability of current wearable plant sensors are restricted mainly due to their 2D planar structures, which interfere with plant growth and development.
In smart farming, nutrient solutions are mainly managed by EC and pH, limiting precision and recycling. Crops change nutrient uptake based on root zone and environment. Understanding this behavior enables development of healthier, more productive, and disease-resistant crops. Conventional glass ion sensors are expensive and large; screen-printed types are hard to use in the root zone. This study developed a compact multi-ion sensor using PCB technology, effective in root-zone monitoring. A portable potentiometer was also created to operate with the sensor. An advanced all-in-one electroanalytical device (AED) was developed, integrating amperometric, voltammetric, potentiometric, conductometric, and impedance techniques. The AED (48×37 mm) supports eight PCB sensors and uses USB and Bluetooth. A user-friendly GUI enables real-time control and data display. Electrical and field tests confirmed its accuracy. The small, versatile platform can also evolve into a wearable biosensor with proper biomarkers, aiding smart agriculture.
The development of stretchable conductive polymer materials has gained significant attention due to their potential applications in next-generation bioelectronic devices. Such materials offer unique advantages, including mechanical flexibility, biocompatibility, and tunable electrical properties, making them ideal for wearable and implantable healthcare technologies.
The advancement of organic soft electronics has predominantly centered on improving sensing performance, leaving unconventional directions relatively unexplored. In this talk, we introduce three distinct approaches that significantly expand the functional landscape of organic soft electronics, including an all-soft implantable bioelectronic patch, biomimetic artificial finger pad electronics, and fully recyclable organic devices.
