2023: Toward a Sustainable Life Cycle for Skin Wearable Computers
With the explosion of the Internet of Things, there has been a rise in soft wearable computers such as smart tattoos and bandages. As prototypes are developed, vast waste of non-degradable materials and discarded power sources is also generated. To protect the environment, there is a critical need to develop a sustainable life cycle for emerging soft wearable devices. The overall objective of this project is to contribute an easily accessible, sustainable making life cycle for creators of soft wearable computers. Research aims include: (1) uncovering the current prototyping life cycle of on-skin computers and barriers to sustainable practices; (2) developing eco-friendly fiber materials for fabricating soft wearable interfaces; (3) investigating alternative energy harvesting sources for wearable interfaces beyond batteries; and (4) design sustainable prototyping tools and processes for everyday creators of wearable computers.
Investigators: Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao and Tamer Uyar