New UBC Okanagan tech could leave smart watches in the dust

UBC Okanagan researchers have created a new smart tech that could challenge smart watches.

The university’s School of Engineering has developed a low-cost sensor that can be woven into materials and composite materials paving the way toward smart clothing that can monitor movements and human activity.

These microscopic sensors, treated with graphene nanoplatelets, can read the body’s activity and monitor heart rates, said engineering school professor Mina Hoorfar.

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“Microscopic sensors are changing the way we monitor machines and humans,” Hoorfar said.

“Combining the shrinking of technology along with improved accuracy, the future is very bright in this area.”

Smart clothing will be beneficial for athletes, reminding users when to hydrate or rest, but UBC professor Abbas Milani said the technology can also be used in aerospace, automotive and marine manufacturing, as it can monitor breakdowns in fabrics already used in those industries.

With further improvements the local technology will be able to capture major flaws like ‘fibre wrinkling’ in manufacturing of composite structures used in airplanes and car bodies, said Milani.

“Integrating sensor technologies like piezo-resistive sensors made of flexible materials compatible with the host textile reinforcement is becoming a real game-changer in the emerging era of smart manufacturing and current automated industry trends,” said Milani.

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