MIT invented a disposable smart diaper that notifies a parent when it’s wet

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In the first year of your baby’s life, you can expect to change a staggering 1,500 diapers (or more!). Wouldn’t it be great if you could find out if your little bundle of joy had a little bundle of their own, without having to get too close? Well, if this new sensor from MIT makes it into production, you’ll be able to do just that, at a fraction of the cost of other smart diaper solutions.

A super cheap sensor attached to RFID tech activates when the diaper is wet, sending a low-power radio signal out to alert parents. Nifty.

This low-cost disposable diaper lets you know when it’s wet

Let’s face it, the current methods of checking if your little one has a wet diaper all suck. Even if you’re lucky enough to have those wetness indicator strips, you still need to get too close for comfort to check. Smart diaper solutions aren’t so great either, being expensive, needing constant battery charging, and whoops if you forget to un-fasten the sensor before throwing away the dirty diaper.

MIT has a new way to tackle the problem, with a low-cost sensor using RFID tech that can be safely disposed of with the diaper.

• MIT’s solution uses RFID tech to alert caregivers to a wet diaper
• It costs pennies to make
• Other smart diapers use battery-powered Bluetooth or wireless devices that need to be reused and recharged, as the sensors are expensive
• Anyone who wears diapers from the littlest ones to the eldest can benefit from this tech

Honestly, hurry up to market so I can use this before my little one is potty trained.

What do you think? Want to see more smart baby products like diapers? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.