Self-healing “electronic skin” that stretches into a circuit board and attaches to the human body could be a more environmentally friendly alternative to the current wearable devices, scientists have said. Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder in the US are developing a thin, skin-like wearable device that they say is fully recyclable and has the capability to repair itself . The electronic skin can perform sensory tasks such as tracking a daily step count or measuring body temperature and heart rate, and can be shaped to fit anywhere in the body. “If you want to wear this like a watch, you can put it around your wrist,” said Jianliang Xiao , an associate professor at the University of Colorado Boulder’s mechanical engineering department. “If you want to wear this like a necklace, you can put it on your neck.” Read more about wearables: The team said their work, published in the journal Science Advances , could lead to a future where recyclable high-tech skin allows people to collect accurate data about their bodies while cutting down on electronic waste. It is estimated that humans will have produced more than 55 million tonnes of discarded smartphones, laptops and other […]
New ‘electronic skin’ is a recyclable, self-healing wearable device
