Gazing into the tech crystal ball, HEY! finds out how wearable technology developed by NTU scientists could help you achieve your “fitspo” goals
by Dr Daphne Ng / Illustration and animation by Vivian Lim
Shirt that “hears” your heartbeat
Imagine wearing an “acoustic” shirt. Its smart fabric “listens” to your heart beats and accurately tracks them, so don’t fret if you leave your fitness tracker at home. Since your tee also functions like a microphone, you can take calls through it, hands-free. Another smart fabric from NTU converts your body movements into electricity to charge your phone while you are working out. So go on and wear your heart on your sleeve when your date calls you while you’re in the middle of a run!
Watch that tracks UV exposure
Your smartwatch will alert you to get out of the sun before you suffer a painful sunburn, thanks to embedded sensors that detect harmful UV radiation in sunlight. Since your UV exposure is precisely monitored throughout the day, you’ll know exactly when to seek shade.
Sweat-powered fitness tracker
Wearing a smartwatch powered by your perspiration could be the motivation you need to go that extra mile. Unlike regular batteries, NTU’s eco-friendly sweat-powered battery does not contain chemicals that harm the environment. Who knew your cardio session could keep both you and your wearables juiced up?
Mental wellness detector on your wrist
Incorporated into your fitness tracker, NTU’s AI program sends you reminders to take mental health breaks from the daily grind of the semester. By analysing your sleep-wake cycle and physical activity levels, the program can detect if you are mentally tired after class or predict if you are at risk of depression.
This story was published in the Jun-Aug 2022 issue of HEY!. To read it and other stories from this issue in print, click here.
