A self-powered pressure sensor woven into fabric or an insole could soon monitor a person’s pulse, breathing, or the movements of an unborn baby without needing batteries or wires. Current wearable health monitors are often bulky, uncomfortable, or require frequent charging, limiting their use for continuous, at-home care. This project tackles that gap by developing triboelectric sensors that generate their own electricity from mechanical pressure—such as a footstep or a heartbeat—so they can operate autonomously. The technology is designed to be unobtrusive enough for everyday wear, addressing conditions where early detection is critical, such as stillbirth, falls in the elderly, and diabetic foot complications. If successful, the sensors could be integrated into a wearable belt for foetal monitoring, potentially helping to reduce the roughly 3,400 stillbirths that occur annually in the UK by enabling real-time detection of reduced foetal movements. Beyond pregnancy, the same platform could be embedded in insoles to monitor pressure distribution in diabetic patients, or in textiles to track vital signs in elderly people at risk of falls. The project aims to move the prototypes from the lab into scalable manufacturing and clinical trials, with the goal of reducing NHS costs through earlier interventions and shifting more care from hospitals to homes.
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Z-PULSE is revolutionizing unobtrusive and wearable healthcare monitoring by introducing Zero-Burden Technologies with Surrey's Self-powered Tribo-Electric Pressure Sensors (STEPS1.0). Designed for zero-burden technology suitable for home environs to provide continuous, real-time detection of critical health indicators, these advanced sensors harness mechanical energy to power themselves, eliminating the need for external power sources, enabling autonomous operation. This aligns perfectly with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)3\. Integrated into wearables like textiles and insoles, STEPS1.0 offers seamless, unobtrusive monitoring of vital signs, including pulse, breathing patterns, foetal movements, and pressure distribution during daily activities like walking or running. The urgency for using STEPS1.0 of Zero-burden technologies stems from a rising need for efficient, wireless, non-invasive health monitoring solutions to manage conditions such as stillbirth, fall risks in the elderly, and diabetic foot complications. Conventional monitoring methods often lack the necessary sensitivity, reliability, and user comfort. Our triboelectric technology addresses these limitations with highly sensitive, wide-range pressure sensors that are robust, versatile, and comfortable to wear---offering a transformative leap in patient care and early detection at an affordable cost point. With funding support from Innovate UK, Z-PULSE aims to transition these prototypes from lab-based innovations to scalable, real-world applications. Our focus will be on refining the design for large-scale manufacturing, ensuring that STEPS1.0 sensors are high-performing and adaptable to various healthcare scenarios. By collaborating with industry leaders and healthcare providers, we plan to streamline clinical trials and regulatory approvals, accelerating the technology's market readiness. These efforts will validate STEPS1.0 across diverse healthcare applications, paving the way for widespread adoption and significantly enhancing patient outcomes, including homecare, while reducing healthcare burdens on society and individuals. Building on this technology, we have secured a customer-led project to integrate Z-PULSE's STEPS1.0 triboelectric sensors into smart textiles. Designed as a wearable belt for foetal monitoring, this innovation could potentially help alleviate up to 3,400 stillbirths annually in the UK by providing continuous, real-time monitoring of foetal movements. By enabling earlier detection of complications, we aim to improve the quality of life for expectant mothers and reduce NHS costs through timely interventions. Trials with Clinicians are already underway to validate the effectiveness of this solution, advancing our technology readiness level (TRL) while developing prototype demonstrations in real-world settings. Our goal is to bring STEPS1.0 to the forefront of healthcare monitoring, providing zero-burden, energy-efficient, wireless, and highly adaptable sensing technology for improved patient outcomes and proactive healthcare management.
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