As wearables and biometric sensors continue to advance and become more commonplace, scientists are working on a new type of sensor, one made out of chewing gum.
In the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, scientists report that the majority of conventional sensors and wearables are made out of metal, and they can stop working or malfunction if pulled or twisted too hard. However, the scientists indicate that for sensors to monitor the body's full range of motion, they need to be more flexible.
While some scientists and researchers have tried using plastics and silicones to address this issue, sensitivity has gone down, according to the journal.
Now, scientists are working with chewing gum and sensing material to retain sensitivity while enhancing flexibility.
"The gum sensor has been used as bodily motion sensors, and outstanding results are achieved; the sensitivity is quite high," the researchers wrote. "Since the gum sensor can be patterned into various forms, it has wide applications in miniaturized sensors and biochips."
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