Scientists Develop Wearable Device That Mimics Pain Perception to Detect Stress

New Delhi: Researchers from the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR)

in Bengaluru have developed an innovative device that uses a silver wire network embedded in stretchable material to detect strain, mimic pain perception, and adapt its electrical response accordingly.

An official spokesperson said the innovative technology utilizes a silver wire network embedded in stretchable material to sense strain and adapt its electrical response, much like how the human body responds to pain.

Scientists said this breakthrough could pave the way for advanced wearable systems capable of sensing stress in real-time, providing valuable data for healthcare monitoring.

The device operates on the principle of neuromorphic technology—drawing inspiration from how the human body detects and responds to pain.

“In the human body, nociceptors sense pain, helping us react to harmful situations. Over time, the body can also habituate to repeated pain, reducing its intensity. By recreating this adaptive response, the new device mimics this process by learning from strain events and adjusting its electrical response,” Researchers said.

They said when the stretchable material is subjected to strain, small gaps form within the silver wire network, temporarily breaking the electrical connection. “An electric pulse can then fill these gaps, reconnecting the network and “remembering” the event. As the material undergoes repeated strain, the device gradually adapts to the stress, much like the body’s response to repeated pain exposure,” They added.

“This system is distinguished by its ability to combine strain detection with adaptive memory in a single, flexible unit, making it an efficient and streamlined technology for real-time environmental adaptation. The device could have significant implications for healthcare, allowing doctors to monitor stress levels in patients, as well as for robotics, improving human-machine interactions by enabling machines to become more intuitive and safer to work with”.

The research, published in Materials Horizons by the Royal Society of Chemistry, highlights the potential for wearable health systems that sense and adapt to stress. “The findings open up possibilities for devices that “feel” and respond to stress in a way that closely mirrors human sensory adaptation”.