After establishing that physiological information could become part of a closed-loop system, I needed to think more practically about how that information might actually be collected during an airport journey. Until this point, I had often imagined a smartwatch or wristband because it is the most familiar form of wearable technology, but the research shows that biosensing can take many different physical forms.

This is important for my project because the form of the technology will affect much more than measurement. It will also affect comfort, visibility, movement, sensory tolerance and whether somebody would realistically want to wear it for several hours while travelling.

Boutros, Kassem and Barteit — Wearable Biosensors

I looked at Boutros, Kassem and Barteit’s (2025) chapter, Advancements in Wearable Biosensors: Transforming Cardiovascular Health Monitoring and Disease Management. Although the chapter is primarily concerned with cardiovascular monitoring rather than autism or airports, it provides a useful overview of how physiological sensing is moving beyond conventional watches.

The examples include wrist-worn devices, ring-shaped sensors, adhesive patches, skin-adhered electronic tattoos and wearable necklaces. Some systems are designed to remain in close contact with the body for continuous monitoring, while others prioritise flexibility, low visibility or long-term wear.

What I found useful is that the sensor does not have to look like a medical device, and it does not have to take one fixed physical form.

This creates a much wider design space for my project.

Ring-Based Sensors

Ring-shaped biosensors are interesting because they are small and relatively discreet. A ring could potentially collect physiological information while remaining much less visually dominant than a large wrist device.

However, the fact that something is small does not automatically make it accessible. Rings create questions around pressure, material, fit and tactile sensitivity. For somebody who dislikes jewellery or hard objects touching the body, a ring could be uncomfortable regardless of how technically effective the sensor is.

This is beginning to show me that technical miniaturisation and sensory accessibility are not the same thing.

Skin-Adhered Technology

The chapter also looks at skin-adhered technologies, including flexible electronic tattoos and adhesive patches. These are particularly interesting because the sensing technology can sit much closer to the body and potentially become less visually noticeable.

Flexible and skin-conforming devices could reduce some of the bulk associated with conventional wearables, but they introduce different questions. Adhesives, heat, texture, removal and long periods of skin contact could themselves become sensory issues. A discreet device is therefore not necessarily a comfortable one.

For my project, I need to think about how the body experiences the technology, not only how accurately the technology experiences the body.

Necklaces and Other Wearable Forms

Another example discussed in the chapter is a wearable necklace used for continuous physiological monitoring. This was useful because it made me think beyond the wrist entirely.

The airport context makes placement particularly important. A traveller is already carrying bags, using a phone, presenting documents, moving through security and interacting with different environments. A wearable should not introduce another object that constantly needs adjusting or managing.

This suggests that the most successful form may be something that can remain present without demanding attention.

Sensor and Output Do Not Need to Be the Same Object

One of the most important things I am realising is that the device collecting physiological information does not necessarily have to be the same device providing support.

A patch could sense while headphones provide feedback. A wrist device could collect information while a phone or visual interface communicates what the system is doing. A textile could contain sensing components while another part of the system provides a haptic response.

This is useful because it stops me from trying to force every function into one object too early. The project may eventually be a system of connected components rather than one all-purpose wearable.

What This Changes in My Project

This research has shifted the wearable from being a technical container for sensors into a design problem in its own right.

I now need to evaluate possible forms through two different questions. First, can the technology collect useful physiological information? Second, would an autistic traveller actually find the object comfortable, discreet, understandable and acceptable enough to wear during travel?

The second question is becoming just as important as the first.

Rather than choosing a smartwatch because it is familiar, I want to explore form, material and placement more critically. The eventual wearable should emerge from the person and context rather than from what existing consumer technology already looks like.

Key Terminology

Wearable biosensor — a device worn on or close to the body that collects physiological information.

Bioimpedance — measurement based on how the body resists a small electrical current; used within some wearable sensing systems.

Skin-adhered electronics — thin or flexible electronic devices designed to remain in close contact with the skin.

Electronic tattoo — a very thin, flexible electronic interface that conforms closely to the skin.

Continuous monitoring — collecting physiological information over time rather than through a single measurement.

Form factor — the physical shape, size, placement and configuration of a technological device.