At AWE USA 2026 in Long Beach, California, extended reality researcher José Ferrer Costa reports that the XR conversation is shifting from captivating demos toward operational readiness. The core bottleneck, he notes, is not only performance: it’s governance, infrastructure, and clinical decision-making that determines whether immersive experiences are appropriate, safe, and effective in real care settings.

Costa describes a move toward investing in spatial infrastructure and supporting a broader ecosystem of health care use cases. Yet the path to routine adoption hinges on health systems’ ability to evaluate immersive tools responsibly—timing technical maturity with workflow integration, measurement, and risk oversight.

In a second feature, Luke Taylor examines “NoHarm,” a Brazilian nonprofit AI tool that automates and scales pharmaceutical review. By flagging potentially dangerous drug interactions, incorrect dosages, and other risks at machine speed, the system reduces medication-associated harm while easing pressure on overstretched pharmacists.

Taylor emphasizes that Brazil’s public health scale makes the impact especially consequential: fewer manual bottlenecks can translate into faster, more consistent safety screening. Still, deployment depends on connectivity and data access norms, which vary across regions and influence whether such models can be exported.

Finally, Michelle Falci explores research trends in edge AI paired with flexible, stretchable electronics. Her report frames a future where wearables interpret signals in real time directly on the device, minimizing reliance on cloud processing and improving responsiveness during at-home monitoring.

The technical thesis is that neuromorphic-style computing and efficient on-chip processing can reduce latency and centralized infrastructure demand. In parallel, flexible circuitry may enable sensors to better conform to the body, improving data quality for continuous health tracking.

Together, these features suggest a common viral theme: health innovation is rapidly advancing, but adoption is gated by implementation realities—data pathways, clinical readiness frameworks, and wearable hardware constraints.

Subject of Research: People
Article Title: From Spatial AI to Clinical Readiness: Lessons From Augmented World Expo USA 2026; First, Do NoHarm: How Pharmaceutical AI Is Improving Care Across Brazil; The Next Generation of Wearables Won’t Need the Cloud
News Publication Date: July 24, 2026
Web References: https://www.jmir.org/2026/1/e106580 ; https://www.jmir.org/2026/1/e107255 ; https://www.jmir.org/2026/1/e107247
References: Costa JF. From Spatial AI to Clinical Readiness: Lessons From Augmented World Expo USA 2026. J Med Internet Res 2026;28:e106580. doi:10.2196/106580. Taylor L. First, Do NoHarm: How Pharmaceutical AI Is Improving Care Across Brazil. J Med Internet Res 2026;28:e107255. doi:10.2196/107255. Falci M. The Next Generation of Wearables Won’t Need the Cloud. J Med Internet Res 2026;28:e107247. doi:10.2196/107247
Image Credits: Not provided
Keywords: extended reality, clinical readiness, spatial AI, pharmaceutical AI, medication safety, edge AI, wearables, neuromorphic computing, flexible electronics

Wearable electronics continue to evolve, integrating increasingly sophisticated functionalities ranging from health monitoring to augmented reality. However, as these devices shrink in size and multiply in number, they become more susceptible to electromagnetic interference, which can degrade signal integrity or cause device malfunction. Conventional EMI shielding approaches, often rigid and bulky, are incompatible with the conformal and stretchable nature of wearable electronics. The newly developed metasurface overcomes these barriers by offering a frequency-selective barrier that preserves shielding effectiveness even when subjected to mechanical strain.

At the core of this breakthrough lies the concept of metasurfaces—ultrathin, engineered materials composed of patterned sub-wavelength structures designed to manipulate electromagnetic waves in highly specific ways. The researchers engineered a metasurface with a precise frequency response, targeting the suppression of harmful electromagnetic signals across critical communication bands, while allowing non-disruptive frequencies to pass through unattenuated. This selectivity is crucial for balancing EMI protection without compromising the performance of desired wireless communications.

One of the most remarkable features of this metasurface is its strain invariance. Unlike traditional shielding materials whose performance typically deteriorates when stretched or bent, the metasurface maintains consistent electromagnetic response under mechanical deformation. This property is indispensable for wearable technologies that conform seamlessly to the human body, enduring repeated flexing, twisting, and stretching during use without losing protective capabilities.

The device’s architecture involves a sophisticated arrangement of metallic patterns on flexible substrates, carefully designed to respond predictably under strain. By employing innovative design algorithms and material selection, the team achieved a metasurface configuration that dynamically adjusts its physical geometry without altering the electromagnetic interaction parameters. This ensures stable frequency-selective behavior regardless of mechanical transformations caused by user movement.

This strain-invariant metasurface also exhibits remarkable durability, enduring repeated deformation cycles without functional degradation, which is critical for long-term wearable device deployment. The materials chosen for both the conductive elements and the substrate provide excellent mechanical resilience and compatibility with existing flexible electronics manufacturing processes. This compatibility is a major advantage for scalable production and integration into current wearable device platforms.

Beyond mere protection, the frequency-selective nature of the metasurface opens new avenues for intelligent electromagnetic management. By allowing specific frequencies to pass while blocking others, it supports enhanced device coexistence, enabling multiple wireless technologies to operate concurrently with minimized interference. This selective EMI shielding enhances user experience by reducing dropped signals, improving battery life, and ensuring reliable sensor data acquisition.

The implications of this technology extend well beyond consumer wearables. Medical devices, many of which now require continuous monitoring capabilities and wireless communication, stand to benefit significantly from robust EMI shielding that does not impede device flexibility. Similarly, applications in defense, sports technology, and robotic wearables could harness this advance to develop more resilient and reliable systems capable of operating in electromagnetically noisy environments without compromise.

The researchers conducted extensive electromagnetic characterization and mechanical testing to validate the performance of the metasurface. Measurements confirmed that the shielding effectiveness remains high across targeted frequency bands even when the metasurface undergoes strains exceeding typical deformations experienced during daily wear. This empirical evidence underscores the potential of this technology to transform EMI shielding paradigms for flexible electronics.

Furthermore, the team explored the integration of this metasurface into prototype wearable devices, demonstrating practical usability without adding significant weight or thickness. The ultrathin, lightweight profile ensures that comfort and ergonomics are preserved, a critical factor in consumer acceptance and widespread adoption of wearable electronics.

An outstanding aspect of this research is the scalability of the fabrication process. By leveraging standard large-area patterning techniques compatible with roll-to-roll manufacturing, the metasurface can be produced cost-effectively at commercial volumes. This path toward industrial viability suggests a rapid transition from laboratory prototypes to real-world applications, accelerating the timeline for enhanced wearable EMI protection.

This innovation also contributes to the growing field of electromagnetic wave manipulation using metastructures, illustrating how targeted design at microscale can yield macroscopic functionalities with substantial practical impact. It exemplifies interdisciplinary collaboration, blending materials science, electromagnetic theory, and mechanical engineering to solve complex problems inherent in emerging technologies.

In summary, the strain-invariant frequency-selective metasurface represents a transformative solution for EMI shielding challenges in wearable electronics. It harmonizes mechanical flexibility with electromagnetic performance, enabling devices that are both highly functional and resilient under real-world conditions. This work paves the way for smarter, safer, and more reliable wearable systems that can seamlessly integrate into everyday life without compromising connectivity or protection.

As wearable technologies continue to integrate deeper into health, communication, and entertainment sectors, advances such as this metasurface will be crucial in overcoming physical limitations and interference issues. This research promises to be a cornerstone in the development of future-proof wearable electronics capable of thriving in complex electromagnetic environments while maintaining user-centric design requirements.

Looking ahead, further enhancements could involve expanding the metasurface’s frequency range, integrating dynamic tunability features, and exploring biocompatible substrate materials to broaden application scopes. The foundational work laid here sets a compelling precedent for innovation in flexible electronics engineering, inspiring continued exploration at the intersection of material science and electromagnetic wave control.

This extraordinary engineering feat not only enhances EMI shielding but also exemplifies how convergent science can address the nuanced demands of next-generation technologies, heralding a new era of wearable electronics that are robust, adaptable, and smart.

Subject of Research: Electromagnetic interference shielding technologies for wearable electronics using strain-invariant, frequency-selective metasurfaces.

Article Title: Strain-invariant frequency-selective metasurface for electromagnetic interference shielding in wearable electronics

Article References:
Kim, D., Hwang, S.J., Ryu, J. et al. Strain-invariant frequency-selective metasurface for electromagnetic interference shielding in wearable electronics. npj Flex Electron 9, 122 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41528-025-00499-0

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41528-025-00499-0

The concept of skin-inspired wearables has long fascinated researchers due to the skin’s multifunctionality—it can detect a vast range of stimuli such as pressure, temperature variations, humidity, and mechanical deformation, all while maintaining breathability and moisture regulation. Existing wearable fabrics often fall short when attempting to replicate these characteristics because of challenges in integrating flexible sensors without compromising the textile’s breathability or comfort. The newly introduced Janus E-textile ingeniously tackles these issues by incorporating a dual-sided architecture that mimics the skin’s outer and inner layers, enabling versatile functionalities on each face of the fabric.

Central to this innovation is the Janus design principle, characterized by a fabric with two distinctly functional surfaces, each optimized for different tasks. One side is engineered to detect motion stimuli with high precision, using a network of flexible sensors capable of capturing strain and deformation in multiple directions. This bidirectional motion perception allows the fabric to monitor complex body movements, providing real-time feedback with remarkable sensitivity. Such capability opens doors to more sophisticated human-machine interfaces, enabling applications ranging from advanced health monitoring to intuitive gesture-based controls.

On the opposite side, the fabric excels in adaptive moisture management, a feature inspired by the skin’s natural ability to regulate sweat and humidity levels. The researchers integrated smart microstructures and selective hydrophilic-hydrophobic coatings that facilitate directional moisture transport. This means the fabric can absorb moisture from the skin side and release it outward efficiently, maintaining wearer comfort even during intense physical activity or in humid environments. This active moisture regulation minimizes skin irritation and overheating, significantly enhancing the textile’s wearability for prolonged use.

The integration of these two functionalities within a single textile represents a significant leap in the design of multifunctional wearables. Traditional approaches often require layering multiple materials or embedding sensors in a rigid matrix, increasing bulk and reducing comfort. In contrast, the Janus E-textile’s unique approach maintains a lightweight, highly flexible form factor similar to conventional clothing fabrics, making it ideal for daily wear. Its mechanical stability and durability have also been demonstrated through extensive cyclic testing, attesting to its potential for long-term use without performance degradation.

At the heart of the motion sensing capability lies a sophisticated network of piezoresistive elements arranged strategically to detect minute changes in strain along both warp and weft directions of the fabric. This bidirectional detection is crucial for accurately capturing multidimensional body motions, a feature highly sought after in applications like sports analytics, physical rehabilitation, and virtual reality interfaces. The electronic signals generated by this sensor network are processed by low-power circuits embedded within the textile, enabling continuous and real-time monitoring without the need for bulky external devices.

The adaptive moisture management side utilizes biomimetic structures inspired by the skin’s micro- and nano-scale features. These structures create capillary pathways that facilitate selective moisture absorption and directional release, effectively creating a self-regulating microenvironment next to the skin. Such a controlled humidity interface improves thermoregulation and skin health, which is particularly beneficial for athletes, medical patients, and individuals exposed to extreme climates. The combination of passive and active moisture handling mechanisms exemplifies nature-inspired engineering at its finest.

Material selection played a crucial role in achieving the Janus textile’s multifunctionality. The research team employed advanced conductive polymers and nanocomposites that confer both flexibility and electrical responsiveness, while ensuring compatibility with conventional textile manufacturing processes. This compatibility underscores the practical potential for scalable production, an essential criterion for any wearable technology aiming for commercial success. The novel fabrication techniques used also demonstrate how electronic functionality can be seamlessly integrated into everyday fabrics without sacrificing traditional textile qualities.

Looking forward, the Janus E-textile’s bidirectional motion sensing and adaptive moisture management capabilities pave the way for a new generation of smart garments that are not only functionally rich but also intrinsically comfortable and user-friendly. These textiles can transform patient care by enabling continuous movement monitoring and sweat analysis without invasive devices. Similarly, in sports and fitness, they offer athletes personalized insights into biomechanics and hydration, optimizing performance and recovery. The widespread adoption of such technology could redefine how we interact with our clothing and, by extension, with technology itself.

The research also makes a strong case for the future inclusion of additional sensory modalities within textile substrates, leveraging the Janus concept as a versatile platform. Future iterations could incorporate temperature sensors, biochemical detectors, or even actuators for haptic feedback, further enhancing the fabric’s utility. The modularity and scalability of the design highlight the immense potential for customization and integration into various wearable formats, including gloves, socks, and hats.

Crucially, the Janus E-textile addresses a key challenge in wearable electronics: balancing high sensitivity and reliability with user comfort and wearability. Its success in this regard stems from an elegant design philosophy that seamlessly blends biology-inspired mechanisms with advanced materials science. As wearable technology continues to blur the lines between textiles and electronics, innovations like this will be pivotal in driving market adoption and user acceptance.

Moreover, this advancement aligns with broader trends in flexible electronics and the Internet of Things (IoT), where smart textiles could become integral nodes in interconnected health and lifestyle monitoring networks. By enabling continuous, unobtrusive data collection from the body, such textiles can feed rich datasets into health management platforms, predictive analytics, and AI-driven coaching systems. This tight integration between hardware, software, and human physiology marks a new frontier in personalized healthcare and smart living.

Despite these promising developments, challenges remain before widespread deployment. Ensuring long-term washability, maintaining sensor calibration under mechanical stress, and reducing production costs will be crucial for commercial viability. The research team’s initial results are optimistic, showcasing excellent durability and signal stability; however, further real-world testing and iterative design improvements will be essential steps in this journey. Collaboration between materials scientists, textile engineers, and application-specific designers will play a vital role in overcoming these hurdles.

In conclusion, the skin-inspired Janus E-textile introduced by Pan and colleagues signifies a monumental step forward in the design of multifunctional wearables. By merging bidirectional motion perception with adaptive moisture management, this fabric transcends the limitations of conventional wearables, offering a truly skin-like experience in terms of sensing and comfort. As this technology matures, it holds immense promise to transform diverse fields ranging from healthcare and sports to entertainment and beyond, heralding a new epoch of smart, responsive clothing.

For readers intrigued by the future of wearables, this study offers not only a glimpse of what’s possible but also a roadmap for integrating biological principles into the fabric of everyday life. It exemplifies the power of interdisciplinary innovation, where inspiration drawn from the complexity of human skin informs the engineering of next-generation electronic textiles that are both intelligent and intimately connected to the wearer.

Subject of Research: Wearable electronic textiles inspired by human skin functionalities

Article Title: Skin-inspired Janus E-textile with bidirectional motion perception and adaptive moisture management for next-generation wearables

Article References:
Pan, Y., Yang, C. & Du, Z. Skin-inspired Janus E-textile with bidirectional motion perception and adaptive moisture management for next-generation wearables. npj Flex Electron (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41528-025-00502-8

Image Credits: AI Generated

The heart of this innovation lies in integrating three-dimensional micro-patterns within a fabric substrate, endowing the wearable supercapacitor with remarkable mechanical flexibility while simultaneously increasing its active surface area. Traditional supercapacitors have often been constrained by planar designs, limiting their energy density and voltage tolerance. By leveraging a 3D textile structure, the research team overcame these limitations, effectively combining the flexibility and conformity of textiles with the high-performance characteristics required for wearable applications. The fabrication process, which intricately patterns conductive and electrochemical layers onto fabric, embodies a sophisticated harmony of materials science and advanced manufacturing techniques.

Electrostatic actuation, a principle commonly exploited in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), is ingeniously used here to enhance the operating voltage of the micro-supercapacitor. By applying controlled electrostatic forces, the device can modulate its internal structural configurations, thereby improving ion transport and electrode contact within the micro-scale patterned electrodes. This dynamic adjustment not only allows the supercapacitor to safely operate at higher voltages without risk of dielectric breakdown, but it also contributes to prolonging the device lifespan and stability under cyclic loading conditions typical of wearable usage scenarios.

From a technical perspective, the challenge has always been to balance flexibility, energy density, and voltage tolerance in compact, fabric-based energy storage devices. Conventional supercapacitors suffer from relatively low energy storage per unit volume when scaled down to flexible formats, and higher voltage operation often causes mechanical or chemical degradation. The introduction of patterned 3D architectures effectively increases the electrochemically active surface area far beyond what flat electrodes can offer. This increases capacitance while the electrostatic actuation mechanism dynamically controls the electrode separation and ionic pathways, mitigating parasitic effects and enhancing charge-discharge efficiency.

Importantly, the materials selected for this device synergize well with the unique requirements of wearable electronics. Conductive polymers and carbon-based nanomaterials are integrated into the fabric matrix to maintain lightweight characteristics, breathability, and elasticity. These properties ensure that the supercapacitor conforms comfortably to the human body, enduring bending, twisting, and stretching motions prevalent in daily activities without compromising electrical performance. The ultra-thin and breathable nature of the fabric also facilitates easy integration into garments, making the technology ideal for applications in health monitoring, smart textiles, and portable energy systems.

The fabrication process itself involves sophisticated patterning techniques that enable precise control over the morphology and distribution of electrode materials on the textile weave. Using advanced lithography methods combined with inkjet printing of conductive inks, the researchers created micro-scale electrodes embedded directly into the fabric. This approach not only reinforces the mechanical robustness of the system but also yields uniform electrochemical performance across the device, essential for reliability and scalability.

Electrostatic actuation is a standout feature of this development, wherein micro-scale electrostatic forces are employed to manipulate the spatial arrangement of the patterned electrodes under operational voltages. This dynamic electrode configuration leads to improved ionic mobility and electrical contact, resulting in exceptional rate capability and power density metrics. The actuation also mitigates common failure mechanisms associated with electrode delamination and electrolyte drying, thereby enhancing the long-term durability of the supercapacitor in real-world wearable conditions.

The implications of such a device extend beyond mere improvements in energy storage. The high-voltage operational window enables more efficient energy harvesting from emerging modalities such as triboelectric, piezoelectric, or photovoltaic sources integrated into wearable systems. Consequently, these micro-supercapacitors can act as dependable energy reservoirs that smooth out intermittent power supply fluctuations, ensuring consistent operation of sensors, communication modules, and other smart fabric functionalities.

In performance testing, these 3D patterned fabric micro-supercapacitors demonstrated remarkable cyclic stability over thousands of charge-discharge cycles, maintaining over 90% capacity retention. The study also highlighted their negligible performance degradation under mechanical stress tests involving repeated bending and stretching, a critical metric for wearable use. Additionally, the supercapacitors exhibited fast charge and discharge kinetics, confirming their suitability for high-power applications such as pulsed signal transmission and rapid sensor data processing.

Beyond individual device performance, scalability and manufacturability were addressed through the use of textile-compatible patterning techniques, offering a feasible pathway to upscaled production. The fabrication process integrates seamlessly with existing textile manufacturing infrastructure, suggesting that the transition from laboratory prototype to commercial product could be achieved with relative ease. This scalability is pivotal for speeding adoption in consumer electronics, medical devices, and even military applications where rugged, wearable energy sources are increasingly demanded.

One cannot overlook the environmental and user-centric benefits of this innovation. Fabric-based supercapacitors are inherently more sustainable than traditional rigid energy storage counterparts, as they incorporate biodegradable or recyclable materials and avoid heavy metal components common in batteries. Moreover, their integration into everyday clothing reduces the need for bulky accessories, enhancing user comfort and discretion in continuous health monitoring applications or augmented reality gear.

This research also unlocks new avenues for multifunctional wearable electronics. The inherent 3D textile microstructure not only stores energy but could be integrated with sensors, actuators, or communication modules in a single fabric layer, paving the way toward truly autonomous smart textiles. The electrostatic actuation mechanism itself might be exploited to tune or modulate properties of embedded systems, from controlling luminescence intensity in wearable displays to regulating sensor sensitivity dynamically.

Looking forward, the challenges to resolve primarily involve optimizing the electrochemical performance under diverse environmental conditions such as humidity, temperature fluctuations, and mechanical wear. Further research will focus on enhancing electrolyte formulations and encapsulation techniques to protect the device while maintaining breathability. Additionally, integrating wireless charging capabilities and energy management circuits directly into the fabric will be critical steps to realizing fully autonomous wearable systems based on this technology.

In essence, the pioneering work of Lin, Li, and their colleagues introduces a paradigm shift in the fusion of textile engineering and energy storage science. Their 3D patterned fabric micro-supercapacitor exemplifies the confluence of flexibility, high voltage operation, and user-centric design, pushing the boundaries of what wearable electronics can achieve. As this technology matures, its profound impact is expected to cascade through sectors ranging from healthcare and fitness to military and entertainment, catalyzing a future where energy storage and electronic functionality are seamlessly woven into the fabric of daily life.

This milestone reflects a broader trend in flexible electronics, highlighting the importance of structural innovation and dynamic mechanisms like electrostatic actuation in overcoming intrinsic material limitations. By transforming the passive fabric into an active energy storage medium with adaptive characteristics, this research opens new horizons for smart textiles and wearable energy technologies that can meet the rigorous demands of a connected, mobile world.

The advent of high-voltage, 3D patterned micro-supercapacitors operating on electrostatic principles marks not just an incremental step but a quantum leap in wearable energy solutions. This progress positions the scientific and engineering communities to rethink the interface between humans and machines, spearheading a new generation of interactive, durable, and efficient wearable systems that enhance lives with unprecedented convenience and performance.

Subject of Research: Wearable energy storage devices based on 3D patterned fabric micro-supercapacitors incorporating electrostatic actuation to enable high-voltage operation.

Article Title: 3D patterned fabric-based wearable micro-supercapacitor operating at high voltage by electrostatic actuation.

Article References:
Lin, X., Li, S., Li, X. et al. 3D patterned fabric-based wearable micro-supercapacitor operating at high voltage by electrostatic actuation. npj Flex Electron 9, 60 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41528-025-00435-2

Image Credits: AI Generated