Theme | Wearable Biotech Enhancement

The future of wearables will move beyond digital technology; biotechnology will measure and improve our hormones, genomes, microbiomes, and more through “wearable laboratories” on our bodies. Just as computers once occupied an entire room and now fit in our pockets, biotechnology is becoming faster, cheaper, smaller, and accessible to anyone. Our workshop aims to explore and develop how “wearable biotechnology” will enhance human health. We will give a background in this exciting new domain, present our work in “wearable laboratories,” and hold a discussion to brainstorm new applications and directions with member companies. 

Current wearable devices can sense an individual's physiological data, but lack in sensing their biological counterparts, which drive the majority of an individual's physiological signal. On the other hand, biosensors for detecting biochemical markers are currently limited to one-time use, are non-continuous, and don't provide flexibility in choosing which biomarker they sense. We show how to integrate biological sensing with wearable computing for the future of human health enhancement. The platforms we develop and discuss range from purely organic bio-wearables to hybrid bio-digital wearables. These include a minimally obtrusive “wearable laboratory” for continuous real-time hormone detection through saliva, and a microfluidic chip for cultivating interactions with E. Coli bacteria. 

People

Research & Updates