The Chem-Phys, detailed in journal Nature Communications, was created to track both heart rate and chemistry information that can be gleaned from your sweat. It's comprised of three sensors on a two-inch polyester sheet: one to capture lactate from sweat, which studies have shown exemplifies a more intense workout, and two to mesaure heart rate. Wired to a Bluetooth chip powered by a lithium ion battery, the patch transmits the data to a computer.



The scientists affirm that the Chem-Phys is one of the first times both sweat and heart rate information has been gleaned simultaneously from test subjects, such as the three men on stationary bikes participating in an experiment funded by Samsung, but it's not the first to track sweat. Ali Javey of UC Berkeley, also made a breakthrough back in January with a small flexible device that relies on a printed plastic sensor array that can also detect glucose, lactate, potassium, sodium and body temperature. Another lab in the University of Cincinnati in Ohio has been hard at work developing wearable sweat sensors as well.

There's an abundance of work being done in the department of wearables. Unfortunately, you can't purchase the Chem-Phys or any of the other sweat trackers currently being developed just yet, though that's absolutely going to change in the future.