MIT scientists show smart diaper with RFID sensor

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a smart diaper. The diaper uses a cheap rfid chip to let parents or carers know when it needs to be changed.

MIT reports that the diaper consists of a passive RFID sensor, which is located under a layer of polymer. Polymer is a type of hydrogel that is widely used in diapers because it is very absorbent. When the polymer gets wet, the material expands and becomes slightly conductive. According to MIT, this is enough for the RFID tag to send a radio signal to an RFID reader. The sensor has a range of up to one meter. For example, the reader can be placed in a children’s room and connected to the internet. For example, a notification can be sent to a carer’s phone remotely.

According to the scientists, the diapers must be relatively cheap to produce: MIT estimates that the production of a single RFID sensor costs less than two cents. “Such sensors can be discarded after use and can be printed in rolls of individual stickers, similar to barcodes.” Current smart diapers use Bluetooth, among other things, according to MIT, with sensors that sometimes cost more than 40 dollars each.

Currently, the diapers are mainly aimed at babies, because not every baby reacts equally clearly to a full diaper, so that it is not always changed immediately. In the future, however, the scientists also want to make smart diapers for adults. “The diapers can be used to prevent diaper rash and bladder infections, both for infants and the elderly population.”

In the future, MIT also hopes that the smart diapers can also be used to detect health problems. The institute mentions constipation and incontinence, among other things. The diapers must therefore be suitable for use in nursing homes.

Image via the MIT