Authors: Hannah Owusu Ansah, Daniel Karikari Frempong, Gabriel Oduro Asirifi
Abstract: Wearable sensors have emerged as a transformative technology in healthcare, sports, and fitness, enabling continuous monitoring of physiological and environmental conditions. Advances in stretchable substrates, microfluidic channels, and skin-integrated electronics now facilitate real-time, high-fidelity information from the human body. Integration into textiles and garments has led to the development of smart e-textiles with sensing capabilities for motion, pressure, and sweat composition. These systems operate on principles such as piezoresistivity, piezoelectricity, electrochemistry, and triboelectricity, converting physical or chemical stimuli into quantifiable electrical signals. As self-powered platforms, they minimize reliance on conventional batteries, enabling energy-autonomous sensing. Consequently, extensive research efforts are ongoing to innovate and overcome current limitations in wearable sensor technologies. This literature review explores the fundamental principles, current research status, and development trends of wearable sensors, with a focus on their integration into smart textiles, flexible electronics, and real-time health monitoring systems. Despite remarkable progress, challenges remain in sensor durability, data accuracy, energy management, and large-scale manufacturing. Nonetheless, the integration of flexible electronics, artificial intelligence, and Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure continues to propel wearable sensors toward broader applications in telemedicine, ageing care, industrial safety, and human–machine interfaces. Importantly, this work serves as a blueprint for researchers, engineers, and policymakers committed to advancing wearable sensor technologies toward practical, scalable, and human-centric applications.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20682359
