According to researchers the flexible, wearable sensors are only two micrometers thick and weigh no more than three grams per square meter (apparently that’s light enough to float on a soap bubble without popping it). Despite its low weight the Leibniz sensor is strong enough to withstand the rigors of wearable tech, surviving over 1000 cycles of extreme stretching. Highlighting its robustness, Prof. Oliver G. Schmidt added, “These ultrathin magnetic sensors with extraordinary mechanical robustness are ideally suited to be wearable, yet unobtrusive and imperceptible for orientation and manipulation aids.”
At the moment, the sensors’ engineers are trying to figure out the value of their new device. As it stands now, researchers see applications in the field of soft robotics and functional medical implants. While those examples are interesting, though, it seems that a sensor that can extend people’s senses might be of even greater consequence than advertised.
Imagine the endless number of devices you could control remotely if you wore a sensor of this sort. Displays, security systems, video games and an endless litany of technological control would literally be at your fingertips. Flipping the script a bit, a magnetic field sensor could also act as an antenna, delivering tactile sensation to alert you to important information.
But will these sensors even make it out of the lab? As of writing this there are no immediate plans to commercialize the tech. Hopefully that changes soon.
Source: Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research