Dehydration can sneak up on you. Whether you’re out jogging or sitting at a desk, it’s easy to lose track of your fluid intake. But a new, tiny sweat sensor may soon solve this problem. Designed by UC Berkeley researchers, this wearable device can measure changes in your hydration status and help you decide when it’s time to take a break and get some water.
In a study recently published in Nature Electronics, researchers demonstrated how their sweat sensor measures electrodermal activity (EDA), an electrical property of the skin, to monitor hydration levels during physical activity. Until now, EDA, or skin conductance, has been thought to be effective at assessing only mental stress.
These findings could broaden EDA’s role in physiological monitoring and someday provide a simple way for people to also avoid dehydration.