Monday, July 20, 2026

Chinese researchers pioneer flexible chip design for next-generation wearables

Chinese researchers unveiled a new flexible chip on Tuesday that could drive the next wave of innovation in wearable technology.

• February 3, 2026
Next-gen wearables
Next-gen wearables[credit: Exponent]

Chinese researchers unveiled a new flexible chip on Tuesday that could drive the next wave of innovation in wearable technology.

The breakthrough, detailed in a study published in the journal Nature, aims to enable more efficient, powerful computing directly on the body, such as on the skin.

It can also be integrated into fabrics, reducing reliance on distant data centres.

Most current wearables rely on rigid chips, which can be uncomfortable and limit functionality.

While flexible electronics exist, they often lack the processing power for tasks like real-time health tracking, forcing devices to send data to the cloud, a slow and energy-intensive process.

To overcome this, a research team from Tsinghua University created the FLEXI series of chips.

One of their key advantages lies in a “compute-in-memory” design that allows calculations to run in memory itself.

This approach will reduce energy use and boost speed, making it ideal for small, battery-powered wearable devices.

Developed using a low-temperature process on flexible plastic, FLEXI chips are thin, light, and cost less than $1 each.

They are also highly durable, withstanding more than 40,000 bending cycles while maintaining stable performance for over six months.

The chips achieve a clock frequency of up to 12.5 megahertz and a power consumption of just 2.52 milliwatts, according to the study.

In a real-world test, the team used a FLEXI chip to run a neural network that analysed heart rate, breathing, temperature, and skin moisture.

It identified daily activities with 97.4 per cent accuracy, demonstrating standalone health monitoring without phones or the cloud.

“Our FLEXI platform merges high performance, ultra-low power, and strong durability. It opens the door to a new class of wearable devices that are comfortable, long-lasting, and smart enough to process data on the spot,” said Ren Tianlin, a professor from Tsinghua University.

These advances lay a solid hardware foundation for the future of edge AI, paving the way for smarter, more autonomous devices in healthcare, smart clothing, and the Internet of Things, Ren added.

(Xinhua/NAN)

We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.

More from Peoples Gazette

farmers

Agriculture

FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology

The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices

Katsina State

Politics

Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku

“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”

Governor Ademola Adeleke, APC's Bola Oyebamiji and the scenarios of violence in Osun State

Heading 4

Osun governorship poll gathers momentum amid pre-election violence 

Mr Adeniran said political thuggery was still dominant in the state despite efforts of security agents to check criminal activities.

Lightning strike photo used to illustrate this story (Credit: Britannica)

States

Lightning strike kills six people in Adamawa

The police command in Adamawa has confirmed the death of six people following a lightning strike in the Ganye council.

Motorists on Calabar road

States

Cross River govt exempts women, elderly drivers from vehicle registration, levies

The Cross River government has exempted women in commercial transport and men aged 60 and above from paying vehicle registration and daily operational levies.

Ademola Adeleke and Oyebamiji

Politics

INEC says Osun residents’ PVCs ready for collection ahead of governorship poll

INEC has announced that PVCs of eligible voters who registered or updated their records during the recent CVR exercise in the state are ready for collection.

Spaniards celebrating

Sport

13-year-old boy killed as Spaniards celebrate 2026 World Cup win

A 13-year-old boy was killed after the Árbol Gordo fountain collapsed as football fans gathered to celebrate the country’s World Cup win.

Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (Credit: KADSEMA)

States

Gas tanker leak contained in Kaduna: KADSEMA

The executive secretary of KADSEMA, Usman Mazadu, said the agency has contained a compressed gas tanker leak in Kaduna South.