Overview

• Led by Waseda University’s Marc Josep Montagut Marques, the team published the peer-reviewed results in Cyborg and Bionic Systems on August 5, 2025 (DOI: 10.34133/cbsystems.0337).
• Two PVC-based ion-selective membranes on carbon‑nanotube substrates—Sensor A (inner-petal texture) and Sensor B (outer-petal texture)—showed superior water retention, with Sensor A retaining the most.
• The 3D-printed wearable routed sweat through microchannels across a 2 mm gap to avoid skin contact, a design meant to reduce irritation from adhesives.
• The microtextured surface produced a water-load‑dependent self-cleaning and sweat‑recirculation effect that improved electrochemical stability and prevented bubble-induced spikes.
• In running trials, the devices accurately tracked sweat sodium, and the team says the sensors are reusable with potential for integration into smartwatches, prosthetic limbs and exoskeletons.