Reviewed by Lexie CornerApr 3 2025
Researchers from the University of Missouri, led by Sicheng Chen and Zheng Yan from the College of Engineering, developed a wearable device shaped like a starfish to track heart health in real time. This design was inspired by how a starfish flips itself over by contracting one arm and using the others in a coordinated motion to adjust itself.
A graphic representation of the starfish-inspired wearable device alongside biological starfish. Image Credit: Zheng Yan
Current wearable technology struggles to accurately monitor heart activity during movement. However, researchers from the University of Missouri found that the five arms of a starfish help address this issue.
The starfish-inspired device remains more stable than conventional wearables, such as smartwatches, due to its multiple contact points with the skin near the heart. This design allows the device to collect more accurate and clear heart data, even during movement.
The device connects seamlessly to a smartphone app, providing users with health information and helping identify potential cardiac issues.
Similar to a starfish, our device has five arms, each equipped with sensors that simultaneously capture both electrical and mechanical heart activity. Most current devices focus on capturing only one signal or require separate devices to track multiple signals at the same time. This allows us to provide a more complete picture of someone’s heart health.
Sicheng Chen, Postdoctoral Fellow and Study Lead Author, University of Missouri
AI for Smarter Heart Monitoring
The team developed an artificial intelligence-based system capable of learning from extensive cardiac data, including signals from both heart disease patients and healthy individuals. To determine whether a person's heart is healthy or showing signs of issues, the system uses intelligent technology to filter out movement-related disruptions and analyze heart signals. The results are displayed on a smartphone app.
This AI-driven method correctly detects cardiac conditions over 90 % of the time. With Bluetooth functionality, the device allows for remote monitoring, making it a practical option for at-home use between doctor's visits, enabling doctors to access the data remotely.
This is also a benefit over traditional clinical heart tests such as the Doppler ultrasound, which usually requires patients to stay still to get accurate results.
Sicheng Chen, Postdoctoral Fellow and Study Lead Author, University of Missouri
Designed for Comfort and Long-Term Use
Additionally, the team is working to make these devices more wearable over time.
A big challenge with wearable devices is that they can cause skin irritation when worn for long periods.
Zheng Yan, Associate Professor, College of Engineering, University of Missouri
Yan is also a researcher at the Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health building.
Yan's team is working on improvements to enhance the device's comfort and skin compatibility. The device sticks to the skin using a special gel, but future versions will use a breathable, skin-friendly material for more comfort. Yan's team has been refining this material for several years.
The starfish-inspired device also features wireless charging capabilities, allowing it to be charged while worn, ensuring continuous use without the need for removal.
Although still in the early stages of development, this innovation combines engineering, AI, and nature. It could potentially transform heart health management by making it easier and more reliable for individuals to monitor their heart activity anytime and anywhere.
Additional authors of the study include Qunle Ouyang, Xuanbo Miao, Zehua Chen, and Ganggang Zhao from Mizzou.
Journal Reference:
Chen, S., et al. (2025) Starfish-inspired wearable bioelectronic systems for physiological signal monitoring during motion and real-time heart disease diagnosis. Science Advances. doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adv2406.