Wearable Sensors: An ACS Sensors Special Issue

RecommendationsW earable sensors are portable, noninvasive devices designed to continuously monitor biological or environmental parameters in real time.Unlike traditional diagnostic tools, they enable dynamic and user-friendly data collection.Examples range from graphene-based electronic for pulse monitoring 1 to microfluidic biosensors that track biomarkers in sweat. 2 These devices can seamlessly integrate sensing, data processing, and wireless communication in daily wearables, redefining how we collect and interpret physiological, chemical, and environmental data.The rapid evolution of wearable sensor technology has revolutionized the landscape of personalized health monitoring, environmental monitoring, and human-machine interactions.3 Wearable sensors can be categorized by sensing modality or energy source.Physical sensors, such as strain sensors, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, and humidity sensors, are extensively utilized for monitoring mechanical motion, force distribution, thermal variations, and breath.4 Meanwhile, chemical sensors excel in identifying biomarkers in biofluids (e.g., lactate in sweat, electrolytes in saliva) and detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from breath or environmental pollutants, supporting applications in disease diagnosis, industrial hazard detection, and air quality analysis.5 Besides, energy autonomy remains a critical focus, with research shifting from battery-dependent systems to self-powered systems with piezoelectric harvesters, triboelectric nanogenerators, and thermoelectric generators.6 The evolution of wearable sensors reflects three distinct phases.Early devices focused on single-parameter monitoring, 7 such as pressure sensing.Second-generation systems integrated multiple modalities, exemplified by dual-mode sensors that simultaneously track two signals, such as temperature and pressure.8 Today, third-generation platforms incorporate artificial intelligence and self-sustaining architectures, such as a tactile glove to capture human grasp signals and identify signatures using machine learning and epidermal electronic systems with in-sensor analytics for neonatal care.9,10 Concurrently, greater emphasis has been placed on enhancing sensor comfort and durability.For instance, breathable and washable fiber-and textile-based sensors have emerged as promising innovations in this field.11,12 This progression underscores a shift toward holistic, user-centric designs that prioritize both functionality and comfort.The impact of wearable sensors spans diverse domains.In healthcare, they facilitate early disease detection, such as identifying lung cancer through volatile organic compounds in breath 13 or managing diabetes via sweat glucose monitoring.