Researchers at the University of Washington have a new jewel in the realm of wearable technology.
A smart earring prototype called the “Thermal Earring” was introduced recently as a wireless wearable capable of monitoring the temperature of a user’s earlobe. In a small study of six people, the smart accessory outperformed a smartwatch at sensing skin temperature during periods of rest. Researchers said it also showed promise for monitoring signs of stress, eating, exercise and ovulation.
Results of the study were published Jan. 12 in “Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies.” The device is not currently commercially available.
The Thermal Earring, which is about the size and weight of a small paperclip, attaches one sensor to the ear with a magnetic clip. Another sensor hangs about an inch below to estimate room temperature. The sensors can be personalized with fashion designs made of resin or with a gemstone without negatively affecting accuracy.
“I wear a smartwatch to track my personal health, but I’ve found that a lot of people think smartwatches are unfashionable or bulky and uncomfortable,” said co-lead author Qiuyue (Shirley) Xue, a UW doctoral student in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering.
Xue was curious about what could be learned from the earlobe, and found that sensing the skin temperature on the lobe, instead of a hand or wrist, was much more accurate.
The device has a 28-day battery life. Along with the battery, they also squeezed in a Bluetooth chip, the two temperature sensors and an antenna. Instead of pairing it with a device, which uses more power, the earring uses Bluetooth advertising mode — the transmissions a device broadcasts to show it can be paired. After reading and sending the temperature, it goes into deep sleep to save power, the UW reported.
Continuous earlobe temperature has not been studied widely. In five patients with fevers, the average earlobe temperature rose 10.62 degrees Fahrenheit compared with the temperatures of 20 healthy patients, suggesting the earring’s potential for continuous fever monitoring.
“Eventually, I want to develop a jewelry set for health monitoring,” Xue said. “The earrings would sense activity and health metrics such as temperature and heart rate, while a necklace might serve as an electrocardiogram monitor for more effective heart health data.”
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