On 11–12 February, ENACT conducted real-world testing of its environmental monitoring wearable in Brussels. Two volunteers wore the current prototype for two days, representing an important step toward moving from laboratory validation to real-world deployment.
The wearable device is designed to monitor a broad range of environmental exposures that can affect human health. Unlike many existing monitoring tools, which focus on a single pollutant or require stationary deployment, the ENACT device captures more than ten environmental parameters simultaneously, including air pollutants, noise, and light exposure. This enables a more comprehensive understanding of the environments to which people are exposed in their daily lives.
This latest prototype is also designed to be completely wearable, allowing volunteers to comfortably carry the device on their upper arm while moving through the city. The Brussels test helped the team assess the device’s performance in real-life conditions, including wearability, stability during mobility, battery performance, and data storage reliability.
Towards and Improved Version
Building on the results from this prototype, the ENACT team is now finalising an improved version of the device. The next iteration is designed to extend recording capacity to more than 36 hours of continuous monitoring, while also increasing storage capacity so that environmental data can be recorded for over three months.
This upgraded version is also being adapted to support paediatric use, as ENACT’s future pilot studies will involve volunteers of different age groups. Work is currently underway on a new protective casing that meets all the requirements for safe and practical use during the project’s pilot studies.
Preparing for Deployment across ENACT Pilot Sites
These environmental monitoring wearables will be used by volunteers across ENACT’s five pilot sites, supporting prospective studies that combine environmental exposure data with physiological and clinical information.
By validating the wearable under real-life conditions in Brussels, ENACT is advancing toward a robust and scalable monitoring platform that will underpin its exposomic risk prediction models and future decision-support tools.