Photonic Interfaces: an Innovative Wearable Sensing Solution for Continuous Monitoring of Human Motion and...

Area of Science:

• Integrated photonics
• Wearable sensors
• Biomedical engineering

Background:

• Flexible integrated photonic sensors offer advantages for intelligent wearable sensing.
• Challenges exist in integrating these sensors for simultaneous monitoring of human motions and physiological activities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a fully packaged, innovative integrated photonic wearable sensor for comprehensive human monitoring.
• To enhance wearability and sensitivity for practical applications.

Main Methods:

• Designed a flexible necklace-shaped microring resonator (MRR) to minimize scattering loss.
• Utilized grating couplers (GCs) and a fiber array (FA) for seamless integration and enhanced sensitivity.
• Employed machine learning algorithms for signal classification.

Main Results:

• Achieved a high intrinsic quality factor (Q_int) of 1.68 × 10⁵ for the MRR, ensuring precise monitoring.
• Demonstrated superior sensitivity in monitoring human motions and physiological signs.
• Attained 97% accuracy in classifying sensor signals using machine learning.

Conclusions:

• The developed sensor enables highly sensitive and precise monitoring of human activities and physiology.
• Shows significant potential for applications in human-machine interfaces, artificial skin, and environments with electromagnetic interference.
• Represents a substantial advancement in smart wearable technology.