Latest news with #NanshuLu
Fox News
5 days ago
- Health
- Fox News
Wearable hydration monitor could help prevent heatstroke, scientists say
A new wearable sensor could help people avoid the dangers of dehydration by alerting them when their bodies need more water. Developed by researchers at the University of Texas, the non-invasive device continuously measures hydration levels in real time and wirelessly transmits the data to a smartphone, according to an SWNS report. "Dehydration is a silent threat that affects millions of people every day," said Professor Nanshu Lu of the University of Texas at Austin, who led the study. "Our wearable sensor provides a simple, effective way to monitor hydration levels in real time, empowering individuals to take proactive steps to stay healthy and perform at their best," she added, per SWNS. The sensor uses a method called bioimpedance, which sends a small, safe electrical current through the body via strategically placed electrodes. The current's flow depends on how hydrated the tissues are — hydrated tissue allows the current to pass easily, while dehydrated tissue resists the flow, according to SWNS. "Arm bioimpedance is not only sensitive to hydration changes, but also aligns closely with whole-body hydration measurements," said study co-author Dr. Matija Jankovic, a post-doctoral researcher in Professor Lu's lab. "Dehydration is a silent threat that affects millions of people every day." "This means the sensor can be a reliable surrogate for tracking hydration levels, even during everyday activities like walking, working or exercising," Jankovic added. To validate the device, the research team conducted multiple experiments, including a diuretic-induced dehydration study and a 24-hour real-life trial. Participants were given medication to promote fluid loss. Their hydration levels were monitored via the wearable and compared to urine samples. The device showed a strong correlation between changes in arm bioimpedance and total body water loss, SWNS reported. The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The new sensor could offer an accessible and wearable alternative to traditional hydration tracking methods, such as urine or blood analysis, which are invasive, time-consuming and impractical, the researchers noted. Hydration is known to be essential for regulating body temperature, maintaining organ function and supporting many other vital processes. Even mild dehydration can impair concentration and performance, while severe dehydration may lead to serious health problems like heatstroke, kidney stones and cardiovascular issues, according to experts. Beyond everyday use, the researchers believe the technology could benefit patients with chronic dehydration, kidney disease or heart conditions. Athletes, too, could use the wearable to stay safe and perform optimally, especially in hot weather. While the current model tracks relative hydration changes, Professor Lu said the team aims to develop reference data for absolute hydration levels. They are also exploring more advanced wearable formats, like breathable electronic tattoos or sweat-absorbing patches, to enhance comfort during long-term use. For more Health articles, visit "This is just the beginning," Professor Lu said, per the SWNS report. "Our goal is to make simple hydration monitoring accessible to everyone."
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The next wearable tech could be a face 'tattoo' that measures mental stress
Researchers are developing a digital "tattoo" that measures "mental workload." The "e-tattoo" is meant for workers with high-risk jobs like air traffic controllers. It's thinner and lighter than older EEG models. Tattoos can reveal a lot about a person. One day, they could even reveal a person's brain waves. At least, that's the goal for researchers at the University of Texas at Austin. "This tattoo is not like a normal tattoo," Nanshu Lu, a professor in the university's Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, told Business Insider. Lu worked alongside engineering professor Luis Sentis and others to develop an ultra-thin, wireless wearable device that she compared to a temporary tattoo sticker. The non-invasive device, applied to the skin with an adhesive, measures brain activity and eye movement to gauge an individual's mental workload. Lu said the device is intended for people working in high-stakes or high-demand jobs, such as aircraft pilots, air traffic controllers, drone operators, and robot teleoperators. These jobs could be considered high-stress since they require focus, quick-thinking skills, and a small margin for error. "Technology is developing much faster than human evolution, so it is very hard to keep up with the technological demand in modern jobs," she said. "Therefore, it's very important not to overload the operator because not only would that jeopardize the outcome of the mission, it would also harm their health." Although the idea of an electronic tattoo might sound like something out of a sci-fi novel, humans and technology have been melding for a while. Nearly 40 years ago, for example, the first fully digital hearing aid became available to the public, according to the Hearing Health Foundation. And now, Elon Musk is embedding computer chips into people's brains through his company, Neuralink. Recent wearable tech inventions include smartwatches, Bluetooth headphones, VR headsets, and fitness trackers, to name a few. Some health-conscious folks invest in wearable technology like the Oura Ring, which collects data on everything from sleep activity to body temperature. However, those devices don't analyze brain activity and eye movement. "Over the years, we developed a series of non-invasive skin conformable e-tattoos to measure cardiovascular health, then measure the mental stress from the palm sweating," Lu said of previous devices she helped develop. "Now, finally, we move on to the brainwave." Lu said the device certainly isn't the first or only EEG sensor on the market, but it's smaller and lighter than previous models. Conducting an EEG test typically requires attaching electrodes to an individual's full scalp with a gel or paste to collect data, which can be time-consuming. Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin are attempting to streamline that process by proving mental workload can be measured only from the forehead. During lab tests, participants did memorization drills that involved a screen with flashing boxes. "In the past, there was no way to objectively assess mental workload. The subjects have to finish the test and then a questionnaire," Lu said. "But in the future, if we can implement some lightweight machine learning model directly on a microprocessor in the Bluetooth chip on e-tattoo, then yes, our goal is to one day be able to do it in real time." A report by Grand View Research said that the global wearable technology market was worth $84.2 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $186.14 billion by 2030, underscoring consumers' willingness to integrate technology into their everyday lives. However, electronic tattoos won't be commercial anytime soon. Lu and her fellow researchers are still conducting tests on and developing the tech. Still, she can imagine a world where the e-tattoo is used by people not employed in high-stakes jobs. It could be used by "people who would like to focus as well as people who want to meditate to see if they are truly relaxed," Lu said. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
15-06-2025
- Health
- Business Insider
The next wearable tech could be a face 'tattoo' that measures mental stress
Tattoos can reveal a lot about a person. One day, they could even reveal a person's brain waves. At least, that's the goal for researchers at the University of Texas at Austin. "This tattoo is not like a normal tattoo," Nanshu Lu, a professor in the university's Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, told Business Insider. Lu worked alongside engineering professor Luis Sentis and others to develop an ultra-thin, wireless wearable device that she compared to a temporary tattoo sticker. The non-invasive device, applied to the skin with an adhesive, measures brain activity and eye movement to gauge an individual's mental workload. Lu said the device is intended for people working in high-stakes or high-demand jobs, such as aircraft pilots, air traffic controllers, drone operators, and robot teleoperators. These jobs could be considered high-stress since they require focus, quick-thinking skills, and a small margin for error. "Technology is developing much faster than human evolution, so it is very hard to keep up with the technological demand in modern jobs," she said. "Therefore, it's very important not to overload the operator because not only would that jeopardize the outcome of the mission, it would also harm their health." Although the idea of an electronic tattoo might sound like something out of a sci-fi novel, humans and technology have been melding for a while. Nearly 40 years ago, for example, the first fully digital hearing aid became available to the public, according to the Hearing Health Foundation. And now, Elon Musk is embedding computer chips into people's brains through his company, Neuralink. Recent wearable tech inventions include smartwatches, Bluetooth headphones, VR headsets, and fitness trackers, to name a few. Some health-conscious folks invest in wearable technology like the Oura Ring, which collects data on everything from sleep activity to body temperature. However, those devices don't analyze brain activity and eye movement. "Over the years, we developed a series of non-invasive skin conformable e-tattoos to measure cardiovascular health, then measure the mental stress from the palm sweating," Lu said of previous devices she helped develop. "Now, finally, we move on to the brainwave." Lu said the device certainly isn't the first or only EEG sensor on the market, but it's smaller and lighter than previous models. Conducting an EEG test typically requires attaching electrodes to an individual's full scalp with a gel or paste to collect data, which can be time-consuming. Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin are attempting to streamline that process by proving mental workload can be measured only from the forehead. During lab tests, participants did memorization drills that involved a screen with flashing boxes. "In the past, there was no way to objectively assess mental workload. The subjects have to finish the test and then a questionnaire," Lu said. "But in the future, if we can implement some lightweight machine learning model directly on a microprocessor in the Bluetooth chip on e-tattoo, then yes, our goal is to one day be able to do it in real time." A report by Grand View Research said that the global wearable technology market was worth $84.2 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $186.14 billion by 2030, underscoring consumers' willingness to integrate technology into their everyday lives. However, electronic tattoos won't be commercial anytime soon. Lu and her fellow researchers are still conducting tests on and developing the tech. Still, she can imagine a world where the e-tattoo is used by people not employed in high-stakes jobs. It could be used by "people who would like to focus as well as people who want to meditate to see if they are truly relaxed," Lu said.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Researchers develop face 'e-tattoo' to track mental workload in high-stress jobs
Scientists say that they have formulated a way to help people in stressful and demanding work environments track their brainwaves and brain usage — an electronic tattoo device, or "e-tattoo," on the person's face. In a study posted in the science journal Device, the team of researchers wrote that they found e-tattoos to be a more cost-effective and simpler way to track one's mental workload. Dr. Nanshu Lu, the senior author of the research from the University of Texas at Austin, wrote that mental workload is a critical factor in human-in-the-loop systems, directly influencing cognitive performance and decision-making. Lu told Fox News Digital in an email that this device was motivated by high-demand, high-stake jobs such as pilots, air traffic controllers, doctors and emergency dispatchers. Teen Goes From 10 Nightly Seizures To Zero With Brain Implant Lu also said ER doctors and robot/drone operators can also leverage this technology for training and performance enhancements. Read On The Fox News App One of the goals of this study was to find a way to measure cognitive fatigue in high leverage and mentally straining careers. The e-tattoo is temporarily attached to the subject's forehead, and is smaller than current devices in use today. According to the study, the device works by using electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrooculogram (EOG) to measure both brain waves and eye movements. 8 Sleep Trackers To Help You Get A Better Night's Rest While most EEG and EOG machines are bulky and expensive, the e-tattoo offers a compact and cost-effective solution. Lu wrote that in this study, "we propose a wireless forehead EEG and EOG sensor designed to be as thin and conformable to the skin as a temporary tattoo sticker, which is referred to as a forehead e-tattoo." Lu also added that "human mental workload is a crucial factor in the fields of human-machine interaction and ergonomics due to its direct impact on human cognitive performance." The way the study was conducted was with six participants being shown a screen on which 20 letters flashed up, one at a time, at various locations. Participants were asked to click a mouse if either the letter itself, or its location, matched one shown a given number of letters. Each participant carried out the task multiple times, corresponding to four levels of difficulty. The team found that as the tasks became harder, the different types of brainwaves detected showed shifts in activity that corresponded to a higher mental workload response. The device consists of a battery pack and reusable chips with a disposable sensor. Lu said that the device is currently a lab prototype. "Before it can be ready for commercialization, it will need more development, such as real-time, on-tattoo mental workload decoding and validation on more people and in more realistic environments," she said. "The prototype currently costs $200."Original article source: Researchers develop face 'e-tattoo' to track mental workload in high-stress jobs
Fox News
31-05-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Researchers develop face 'e-tattoo' to track mental workload in high-stress jobs
Scientists say that they have formulated a way to help people in stressful and demanding work environments track their brainwaves and brain usage — an electronic tattoo device, or "e-tattoo," on the person's face. In a study posted in the science journal Device, the team of researchers wrote that they found e-tattoos to be a more cost-effective and simpler way to track one's mental workload. Dr. Nanshu Lu, the senior author of the research from the University of Texas at Austin, wrote that mental workload is a critical factor in human-in-the-loop systems, directly influencing cognitive performance and decision-making. Lu told Fox News Digital in an email that this device was motivated by high-demand, high-stake jobs such as pilots, air traffic controllers, doctors and emergency dispatchers. Lu also said ER doctors and robot/drone operators can also leverage this technology for training and performance enhancements. One of the goals of this study was to find a way to measure cognitive fatigue in high leverage and mentally straining careers. The e-tattoo is temporarily attached to the subject's forehead, and is smaller than current devices in use today. According to the study, the device works by using electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrooculogram (EOG) to measure both brain waves and eye movements. While most EEG and EOG machines are bulky and expensive, the e-tattoo offers a compact and cost-effective solution. Lu wrote that in this study, "we propose a wireless forehead EEG and EOG sensor designed to be as thin and conformable to the skin as a temporary tattoo sticker, which is referred to as a forehead e-tattoo." Lu also added that "human mental workload is a crucial factor in the fields of human-machine interaction and ergonomics due to its direct impact on human cognitive performance." The way the study was conducted was with six participants being shown a screen on which 20 letters flashed up, one at a time, at various locations. Participants were asked to click a mouse if either the letter itself, or its location, matched one shown a given number of letters. Each participant carried out the task multiple times, corresponding to four levels of difficulty. The team found that as the tasks became harder, the different types of brainwaves detected showed shifts in activity that corresponded to a higher mental workload response. The device consists of a battery pack and reusable chips with a disposable sensor. Lu said that the device is currently a lab prototype. "Before it can be ready for commercialization, it will need more development, such as real-time, on-tattoo mental workload decoding and validation on more people and in more realistic environments," she said. "The prototype currently costs $200."
