These wearable sensors are designed to track parameters such as heart rate, muscle activity, body temperature and skin pressure, while remaining comfortable for prolonged use
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Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur are developing next-generation flexible semiconductor devices designed for continuous health monitoring, early disease detection and physiological assessment in demanding environments.
The work is being carried out at the HESTECH (Hybrid Electronic Sensor Technologies) Lab, led by Dr Akshay Moudgil, Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering. The research focuses on soft, flexible and intelligent semiconductor devices capable of monitoring key physiological and biochemical signals from the human body in real time.
These wearable sensors are designed to track parameters such as heart rate, muscle activity, body temperature and skin pressure, while remaining comfortable for prolonged use. According to Dr Moudgil, the motivation for this work is to address a critical gap in accessible, continuous health monitoring. He said that many health conditions in India and globally are detected too late because continuous monitoring remains limited outside specialised settings.
The goal is to develop semiconductor devices that can continuously monitor body signals comfortably, enabling early detection and timely intervention. A key component of this research is the Organic Electrochemical Transistor (OECT), a class of semiconductor devices suited for interfacing with biological signals and fluids. Unlike conventional rigid electronics, OECT-based platforms enable both electrical and biochemical sensing in flexible formats.
The HESTECH Lab is developing low-power wearable sensors using biocompatible hybrid semiconductor materials that can be fabricated on thin, flexible substrates. This makes them ideal for skin-conformal devices that enable continuous, non-invasive monitoring.
Dr Moudgil explained that the team is exploring whether a single semiconductor platform can capture both the electrical activity of the body and biochemical signatures linked to disease. Using OECT technology, they are building compact, flexible devices to monitor heart activity, muscle response and disease-related biomarkers.
One major application area is early disease screening. The team is developing biochemical sensors capable of detecting clinically relevant biomarkers in biofluids such as saliva, serum and blood. In the future, such portable systems could support point-of-care diagnostics in dental clinics, rural health camps and mobile healthcare units.
In parallel, the lab is working on wearable sensors for physical health monitoring, including soft ECG patches for cardiac assessment, EMG sensors for muscle activity tracking and pressure and temperature sensors to detect early signs of pressure ulcers in at-risk patients.
The technology also holds significant promise for defence and extreme-environment applications. Flexible semiconductor sensors could be integrated into uniforms or wearable patches to monitor physiological stress indicators, such as cardiac load, dehydration, fatigue, heat stress, and muscle strain, during training or field operations.
Dr Moudgil noted that in defence environments, such devices could enable real-time physiological monitoring of personnel, supporting better decision-making, reducing stress-related injuries and enhancing mission readiness. He added that IIT Jodhpur aims to ensure that innovation translates into real-world impact, and semiconductor-based wearable technologies could create a future where health monitoring is continuous, comfortable and intelligent.
With continued research and translational development, this technology has the potential to significantly improve access to diagnostics, enable preventive healthcare and deliver advanced monitoring solutions for both civilian and defence applications.
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