Abstract: A foot-based wearable system disposed proximate to the dorsalis pedis artery can detect cardiac and muscular activities. Utilizing flexible iontronic sensing (FITS) technology, a sensing array detects both cardiovascular functions, such as heart rate, ECG, and respiration and motion artifact signals with a spatial reference to muscular activities based on the orientation of the array. Individual tendon responses are analyzed and correlated to different pedal gestures, from which multi-channel signals can be used to distinguish different activities. Wearable articles of the invention include a platform to simultaneously analyze both vital signals and body activities from the cardiac waveforms and muscular responses in a natural and unnoticeable fashion. The data-collecting wearable system provides a means to assess personalized health and daily activities on a continuous basis.

Abstract: Thin-film pressure sensors are disclosed herein. Such sensors include one or more electrodes in contact with a sensing material. As the sensor deforms the capacitance of the sensor varies and is measurable either between two electrodes of the sensor, or between the one electrode of the sensor and an electrode formed by the surface to which the sensor is applied, such as skin. The sensing material can be an ionic material such as an ionic composite including an ionic liquid.