Project details
Abstract
The prevalence of overweight among the European population is estimated to be near 50%, and the prevalence of obesity is around 16%. Monitoring obesity and overweight prevalence is important for assessing interventions to prevent or reduce the burden of obesity and related medical risks and providing the tools for maintaining a healthier lifestyle. UltraSense project introduces the concept of a stretchable multi-sensing platform as a wearable tool for body composition analysis and overall decentral health monitoring, fostering a sustainable and healthier lifestyle. The platform will comprise smart features, AI signal processing and advanced stretchable materials, enabling the efficient synergy of three compartments of sensors relying on different technologies: A. Ultra-sound compartment: delivering precise information about body composition and tissue thickness B. Bioimpedance compartment: fast and reliable measuring of the percentage of fat, water and muscle C. G-FET biosensor compartment: Biomarker retrieval via sweating at attomolar sensitivity in miniaturised footprint. The wearable device will be validated in two use cases: 1. The effect of sport on a healthier lifestyle: monitoring the overall health of people who exercise 2. Early detection and continuous monitoring of metabolic syndrome. Ultra-Sense’s data will be displayed to the user consistently and reliably so that medical advice can be sought. The project’s green and circular material synthesis approaches will reduce the related CO2 emissions by more than 70% from solvent processing. UltraSense will have a substantial societal and economic impact: 700k devices will be sold annually by 2032 for 105M€ of revenues, reaching a 10% market share and associated with 20 new jobs. Millions of people will have access to low-cost, easy-to-use devices that inform them of their body composition, help them improve their lifestyle, reduce obesity and metabolic diseases, and reduce related treatment costs.
Innovative Use Cases
The UltraSense device will be validated in two key use cases:
- Promoting a Healthier Lifestyle through Sport: The device aims to improve exercise compliance and health outcomes by monitoring the overall health of exercised individuals.
- Early Detection and Continuous Monitoring of Metabolic Syndrome (MetSyn): Providing valuable data for personalised clinical management and health alerts for urgent medical treatment.

Figure 1. Data collection and holistic analysis process by the AI model.
The UltraSense project is pioneering smart concepts and tools for advanced data analysis, leveraging a deep understanding of sensor properties to create new business models for distributed, connected sensors. By developing end-to-end machine learning algorithms using raw signals from bioimpedance and ultrasound sensors, the project aims to enhance sensor data processing and improve our understanding of sensor properties. This approach includes semi-supervised learning and differential privacy to ensure robust and private data handling.
A key application is a body composition analyzer that integrates data from various sources, such as blood pressure monitors and smartwatches, to provide holistic insights into user behavior and health. The wearable device communicates with a mobile phone via Bluetooth, with data analysis performed either on the phone or a backend server, offering a low-cost and accessible solution. The AI development in UltraSense enables the extraction of body composition and metabolic biomarkers, with potential applications in medical devices, automotive, and robotics.
Sustainable and Economic Impact
UltraSense is committed to sustainability, with green and circular material synthesis approaches expected to reduce CO2 emissions by over 70%. The project anticipates significant societal and economic benefits, including selling 700,000 devices annually by 2032, generating €105 million in revenue and creating 20 new jobs. Millions will gain access to an affordable, easy-to-use device that informs them about their body composition, helping to reduce obesity and related diseases and lowering healthcare costs.

Figure 2. Value Chain