Developed by a team at the University of Sussex, the sensors can currently monitor heart rate and temperature and are built using natural elements like rock salt, water and seaweed, combined with graphene.
Because they are solely made with ingredients found in nature, they are fully biodegradable, making them more environmentally friendly than commonly used rubber and plastic-based alternatives.
Their natural composition also places them within the emerging scientific field of edible electronics as they are safe for human consumption, the team said.
The seaweed-based sensors were found to outperform existing synthetic-based hydrogels and nanomaterials used in wearable health monitors in terms of sensitivity and accuracy.
Dr Conor Boland, a materials physics lecturer who worked on the project, said: “One of the most exciting aspects to this development is that we have a sensor that is both fully biodegradable and highly effective. The mass production of...