We present our efforts toward enabling a wearable sensor system that allows for the correlation of individual environmental exposures with physiologic and subsequent adverse health responses. This system will permit a better understanding of the impact of increased ozone levels and other pollutants on chronic asthma conditions. We discuss the inefficiency of existing commercial off-the-shelf components to achieve continuous monitoring and our system-level and nano-enabled efforts toward improving the wearability and power consumption. Our system consists of a wristband, a chest patch, and a handheld spirometer. We describe our preliminary efforts to achieve a submilliwatt system ultimately powered by the energy harvested from thermal radiation and motion of the body with the primary contributions being an ultralow-power ozone sensor, an volatile organic compounds sensor, spirometer, and the integration of these and other sensors in a multimodal sensing platform. The measured environmental parameters include ambient ozone concentration, temperature, and relative humidity. Our array of sensors also assesses heart rate via photoplethysmography and electrocardiography, respiratory rate via photoplethysmography, skin impedance, three-axis acceleration, wheezing via a microphone, and expiratory airflow. The sensors on the wristband, chest patch, and spirometer consume 0.83, 0.96, and 0.01 mW, respectively. The data from each sensor are continually streamed to a peripheral data aggregation device and are subsequently transferred to a dedicated server for cloud storage. Future work includes reducing the power consumption of the system-on-chip including radio to reduce the entirety of each described system in the submilliwatt range.

Electronic textiles (e-textiles) merge textiles and electronics to monitor physiological and environmental changes. Innovations in textile functionalities and diverse applications have propelled e-textiles’ popularity. However, challenges like connection with external devices for signal processing and reliable interconnections between flexible textiles and rigid electronic circuits persist. Wearable connectors enable the effective communication of e-textiles with external devices. Factors such as electrical functionality and mechanical durability along with textile compatibility are crucial for their performance. Merging the rigid connectors on the flexible textiles requires conductive and flexible interconnects that can bridge this gap between soft and hard components. This work focuses on designing two-part detachable mechanical snap connectors for e-textiles. The textile side connectors are attached to the data transmission cables within the textiles using three interconnection techniques—conductive epoxy, conductive stitches, and soldering. Three types of connectors were developed that require three detaching or unmating forces (low, medium, and high). All connectors were subjected to 5000 mating–unmating cycles to evaluate their mechanical durability and electrical performance. Connectors with low and medium unmating forces exhibited a stable performance, while those with high unmating forces failed due to wear and tear. Conductive stitches maintained better conductance as compared to conductive epoxy and soldering methods.

Humans have searched far beyond our planet to understand the fundamental principles and mechanisms of life

The advent of wearable electronic textiles (e-textiles) is transforming human–computer interaction by enabling seamless, comfortable, and continuous connectivity between users and digital systems. Although the wearable e-textile market is poised for significant growth, there is a need for durable, reliable connectors to link e-textiles to digital systems. This study presents and evaluates two novel magnetic connectors—buckle and snap—integrated into textile substrates using conductive epoxy, conductive stitches, and solder as interconnect methods. Durability testing involved 5000 mating/unmating cycles at low, medium, and high forces, with electrical performance assessed through resistance and impedance measurements. Results showed significant increases in resistance and impedance with 1000-cycle intervals. However, both connectors retained robust electrical and mechanical integrity, with all resistance values remaining below 1.6 Ω, indicating no critical degradation. Buckle connectors consistently outperformed snap connectors, which is attributed to their design that reduces mechanical stress on interconnects. Conductive epoxy demonstrated superior stability and slower degradation compared to conductive stitches and solder, particularly under higher mating forces. Impedance results mirrored resistance trends, confirming reliability. These findings advance durable, user-friendly connectors for long-term e-textile use, addressing both mechanical endurance and electrical performance to enhance wearable computing and interactive environments.