Wearable medical devices can restore somatosensory feedback in areas with reduced nerve sensitivity, improving grip control and tactile perception. They can also provide haptic alerts to unsafe pressure distributions in prosthetic sockets and offer therapeutic vibratory stimulation for mobility impairments. These devices enable wearable, customizable solutions for continuous physiological monitoring.

Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University have introduced a novel wearable system combining flexible carbon nanotube pressure sensors with customizable vibrohaptic tactors to provide real-time somatosensory feedback through an event-cue feedback loop.

The technology

This invention introduces a sensing-actuation platform integrating soft tactile sensors made from carbon nanotube (CNT) composites and flexible vibrotactile actuators (tactors) fabricated via advanced 3D printing techniques. The system detects mechanical stimuli on low-sensitivity body areas and transmits signals to healthy skin regions, delivering precise vibratory feedback. The sensors function by changing electrical resistance under pressure, while the tactors produce customizable vibrations through flexible cantilevers driven by electromagnetic fields. The platform supports wired or wireless (Bluetooth) connectivity, enabling applications such as grip control gloves, prosthetic socket pressure monitoring, and plantar pressure sensing for gait and Parkinson’s therapy.