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"IEEE Sensors Alert" is a new service of the IEEE Sensors Council. Started as one of its new initiatives, this weekly digest publishes teasers and condensed versions of our journal papers in layperson's language.
Articles Posted in the Month (November 2025)
Investigation on Substrate Material for a Sensitive Flexible Piezoresistive Pressure Sensor
Author: Gupta Navneet, Neeraj Neeraj
Published in: IEEE Sensors Journal (Volume: 25, Issue: 7, April 2025)
Summary Contributed by: Saurabh Dubey
Flexible piezoresistive pressure sensors (FPPS) are revolutionizing wearable electronics, soft robotics, and healthcare monitoring. This study identifies polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) as the optimal substrate, offering superior thermal stability, flexibility, and chemical resistance. Validated through simulations, PEN-based FPPS achieved high sensitivity, superior charge transport, and improved mechanical stability than traditional alternatives. By combining multi-criteria material ranking with simulation, this research leads to the development of the next-generation wearable sensors and energy-harvesting devices.
Published in: IEEE Sensors Journal (Volume: 25, Issue: 7, April 2025)
Summary Contributed by: Roger Hasler (Author)
Understanding biomolecular interactions at the solid-liquid interface is key to biotechnology innovations. This study describes the development of a multimodal sensor that integrates optical and electronic readout principles on a single chip, enabling simultaneous monitoring of surface mass and charge density variations associated with (bio)interactions. Combining grating-coupled surface plasmon resonance (SPR) with coplanar-gated field-effect transistors (FET), this scalable, portable platform offers high-precision, dual-mode analysis of complex bio-interfaces for next-generation diagnostics.
Low Latency Visual Inertial Odometry With On-Sensor Accelerated Optical Flow for Resource-Constrained UAVs
Author: Kuhne Jonas, Benini Luca, Magno Michele
Published in: IEEE Sensors Journal (Volume: 25, Issue: 5, March 2025)
Summary Contributed by: Jonas Kühne (Author)
Visual-inertial odometry (VIO) is increasingly used for autonomous navigation in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This study introduces a low-latency VIO system that integrates an on-camera optical flow accelerator with an existing state-of-the-art VIO pipeline. Offloading motion tracking to the sensor itself significantly reduces computational load (53.7%), energy consumption (14.24%), and latency (49.4%). This approach maintains, and in some cases even improves, tracking accuracy, making it ideal for resource-constrained UAVs.
Published in: IEEE Sensors Journal (Volume: 25, Issue: 6, March 2025)
Summary Contributed by: Payal Savani
Sensors are the silent sentinels of technology, translating invisible changes into meaningful data. Among them, pH sensors are vital for monitoring hydrogen ion concentration in biomedical and environmental fields. The study explores a high-performance Extended-Gate Field-Effect Transistor (EGFET) based pH sensor, developed by modifying zinc oxide with phosphorene. It has boosted sensitivity from 51.0 to 62.5 mV/pH and lowered the drift rate from 1.428 to 0.714 mV/h.
Published in: IEEE Sensors Journal (Volume: 25, Issue: 5, March 2025)
Summary Contributed by: Gianluca Barile (Author)
The ease of fabrication and versatile use make capacitive sensors a popular choice. This work introduces a fully differential analogue read-out circuit for differential capacitive sensors, featuring an auto-balancing bridge with voltage-controlled capacitors (VCCs) and integral negative feedback. The interface achieved 102 mV/pF sensitivity, and a linearity error of 0.47%, with 8–11 ms dynamic response times. The design enhances sensitivity and linearity, reduces parasitic effects, and demonstrates strong potential for precision sensing.
The Implementation of Single VCII-Based RC Sinusoidal Oscillators: 28 Novel Configurations
Author: Barile Gianluca, Scarsella Massimo
Published in: IEEE Sensors Journal (Volume: 25, Issue: 5, March 2025)
Summary Contributed by: Gianluca Barile (Author)
The design of sinusoidal oscillators is a challenging research area. This work presents 28 novel, energy-efficient RC (Resistor-Capacitor) sinusoidal oscillators based on a single second-generation voltage conveyor (VCII). These designs significantly reduce component count compared to traditional operational amplifier circuits and operate in current-mode, enabling low power consumption without requiring an additional voltage output buffer. Experimental validation confirmed 16 configurations operating as expected, highlighting their potential for advanced sensor interfacing applications.
Design and Optimization of a Highly Sensitive Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensor for Accurate Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Author: Mahmud Russel Reza, Barua Bobby, Islam M. Shariful, Mondal Tanu Prava, Rafi Shah Ali
Published in: IEEE Sensors Journal (Volume: 25, Issue: 6, March 2025)
Summary Contributed by: Russel Reza Mahmud (Author)
Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) has transformed medical diagnostics. This paper presents a highly sensitive SPR biosensor developed for the accurate detection of tuberculosis (TB) causing bacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. By leveraging a novel hybrid structure incorporating black phosphorus and optimized material layers, the sensor achieved remarkable angular sensitivity, enabling rapid, label-free diagnosis with high precision. It can detect even trace amounts of bacteria, providing a powerful tool for faster and accurate TB screening.
Enhancement of Target Localization Based on Angle-of-Arrival Measurement via Quantum Sensor Networks
Author: Chai Hongzhou, Hui Jun
Published in: IEEE Sensors Journal (Volume: 25, Issue: 6, March 2025)
Summary Contributed by: Hongzhou Chai (Author)
With the advancement of quantum information technology, integrating quantum resources, such as entangled photons into traditional measurement fields can improve parameter estimation accuracy. This study introduces a novel quantum-enhanced angle-of-arrival (AoA) estimation method for evaluating the performance of a quantum sensing localization system. The work contributes to realizing quantum navigation and localization with drastically improved integrated accuracy, thereby refining its applications in radar, navigation, wireless communication, and target localization.
Published in: IEEE Sensors Journal (Volume: 25, Issue: 5, March 2025)
Summary Contributed by: Simone Benatti (Author)
Accurate hand motion modeling is important for intuitive human–machine interaction (HMI). This paper introduces an event-based high-density surface electromyography encoding method for multifinger force estimation, optimized for real-time, low-power microcontroller applications. Evaluated on the High-densitY Surface Electromyogram Recording (HYSER) dataset in realistic multiday settings, it showed competitive accuracy. With energy consumption under 6.5 μJ per sample and latency below 280 μs, it enables efficient, real-time regression for future wearable HMI applications.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) pose significant health risks, making the effective monitoring of these compounds essential. This article presents a novel, cost-effective chemoresistive sensor that uses citrate-functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) deposited on cotton fabric for precise acetone (CH3COCH3) detection. Its impedance-based mechanism demonstrates high selectivity and strong reusability. This AuNP-Textile sensor offers a promising solution for portable, real-time VOC exposure assessment in applications ranging from health monitoring to environmental pollution.
A Multimatrix E-Nose With Optimal Multiranged AFE Circuit for Human Volatilome Fingerprinting
Author: Radogna Antonio Vincenzo, Capone Simonetta, D'Amico Stefano, Forleo Angiola, Grassi Giuseppe, Siciliano Pietro Aleardo
Published in: IEEE Sensors Journal (Volume: 25, Issue: 5, March 2025)
Summary Contributed by: Radogna Antonio Vincenzo (Author)
The human volatilome, a combination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in breath and bodily fluids, reflects overall health and can signal the early onset of disease. This study presents SPYROX, an electronic nose that converts VOC signatures into digital fingerprints. It features a multirange analog front-end (AFE) circuit with a multimatrix learning algorithm for adaptive sensitivity across diverse samples. SPYROX offers an accurate, non-invasive, portable solution for routine health screenings and diagnostics.
Published in: IEEE Sensors Journal (Volume: 25, Issue: 5, March 2025)
Summary Contributed by: Saurabh Dubey
Niobium-doped BZT-BCT thin films are emerging as a sustainable, high-performance alternative to the toxic lead zirconate titanate (PZT) for piezoelectric devices. Fabricated via a sol-gel process and optimized poling, these lead-free films exhibit enhanced dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties. With stable switching, improved resonance, and strong mechanical integrity, they demonstrate promise for MEMS devices, biomedical implants, and energy-harvesting applications, thus paving the way for eco-friendly piezoelectric technologies.
Published in: IEEE Sensors Journal (Volume: 25, Issue: 5, March 2025)
Summary Contributed by: Hussain Irfan (Author)
Supernumerary robotic arms (SRAs) can assist post-stroke patients with daily activities. However, its conventional designs are bulky and power-hungry. This paper introduces a novel SRA featuring twisted, string-driven flexure joints that eliminate large actuators, resulting in a compact, lightweight, and energy-efficient wearable device. This advance in assistive robotics empowers stroke survivors to regain independence in bimanual activities and paves the way for the next generation of affordable, human-assistive technologies.
Smart, Wearable and Power-Controlled Mixed-Signal Platform for Screening and Follow-Up of Cystic Fibrosis Based on Real-Time Chloride Concentration Evaluation in Sweat
Author: De Venuto Daniela, Bollella Paolo, De Venuto Domenica, Mascellaro Grazia, Spadavecchia Giuseppe, Torsi Luisa
Published in: IEEE Sensors Journal (Volume: 25, Issue: 5, March 2025)
Summary Contributed by: Payal Savani
Wearable sensors have garnered significant attention in recent years, particularly in the realm of personalized diagnostics and continuous health monitoring. This paper discusses the development of a wearable sweat-based sensor system for monitoring cystic fibrosis (CF) in patients. It offers a resolution of ±2 mV and sensitivity of 56.9 mV/dec, with an average power consumption of 350 micro watts. The sensor is a compact, energy-efficient, and developed for home use.
A Wearable Multisensor Fusion System for Neuroprosthetic Hand
Author: Liu Honghai, Meng Jianjun, Ding Han, Guo Weichao, Shi Shang, Yang Xingchen, Yin Zongtian
Published in: IEEE Sensors Journal (Volume: 25, Issue: 8, April 2025)
Summary Contributed by: Liu Honghai (Author)
Getting a near-natural control from neuroprosthetic hands is challenging. This study introduces a compact, wearable multisensor system that integrates ultrasound, surface electromyography (sEMG), and Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensors to improve prosthetic hand control. Ultrasound and EMG model gestures, sEMG detects resting states, and the IMU filters unintended movements like shaking. The system's small size allows seamless integration into prosthetic sockets, and control strategies enhance stability, offering an improved experience for amputees.
After years of existence and research efforts, dielectric materials in non-contact bioelectrodes guarantee the hope and survival of patients with heart abnormalities. Without painful skin abrasion, cardiac monitoring devices could reliably ensure constant care and well-being of patients. The researchers provide invaluable insights into the influence of dielectric materials that could change the future of ECG monitoring systems.
RFID-a radio-frequency identification technology, is gaining popularity as a wireless sensor for track and trace applications. The high cost of chipped-RFID tags makes them unsuitable for mass production. The Chipless-RFID tag is lightweight, durable, reliable, and energy-sufficient and can be mass-produced using inexpensive conductive inks or yarns. Improving range and data capacity in chipless-RFID tags could make them indispensable as wearables.
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