Amphibious epidermal area networks for uninterrupted wireless data and power transfer

The human body exhibits complex, spatially distributed chemo-electro-mechanical processes that must be properly captured for emerging applications in virtual/augmented reality, precision health, activity monitoring, bionics, and more. A key factor in enabling such applications involves the seamless integration of multipurpose wearable sensors across the human body in different environments, spanning from indoor settings to outdoor landscapes. Here, we report a versatile epidermal body area network ecosystem that enables wireless power and data transmission to and from battery-free wearable sensors with continuous functionality from dry to underwater settings. This is achieved through an artificial near field propagation across the chain of biocompatible, magneto-inductive metamaterials in the form of stretchable waterborne skin patches—these are fully compatible with pre-existing consumer electronics. Our approach offers uninterrupted, self-powered communication for human status monitoring in harsh environments where traditional wireless solutions (such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or cellular) are unable to communicate reliably. Body area networks represent a wearable technology suitable for applications like virtual reality and health monitoring. Here, the study presents a wireless battery-free channel that works reliably in harsh environments, including underwater. It utilizes stretchable magneto-inductive metamaterials to enable uninterrupted communication.