REAL LIFE NEWS: WIFI DIAPER
by Hazed
Here’s a new use for wearable computers: a diaper that texts you when it needs to be changed.
The wifi diaper has been developed by a research team from the University of Tokyo. They’ve come up with a flexible and disposable organic sensor, which can be placed inside a diaper and will send a wireless alert to a specific person when it needs changing.
The integrated circuit is printed on plastic film which presumably means it is water (or other liquids) proof. It receives its power wirelessly and could potentially be manufactured very cheaply. It’s made using organic materials and can be printed with inkjet technology.
Other applications for the technology, apart from diapers, could be sensors fixed to the skin to monitor pulse and blood oxygen levels. The flexibility of the devices would make them more comfortable for users, and allow them to be affixed to more places on the body giving healthcare workers a lot more scope for monitoring the well-being of their patients.
