Move aside, Galaxy Ring! This new smart ring can measure blood glucose from your sweat!
A team of scientists from the University of California, has developed a working prototype of a smart ring that can measure glucose, ketone, uric acid, lactate, and alcohol by analyzing your sweat.
Scientists have published a new study in Nature detailing an experimental smart ring capable of non-invasively measuring blood glucose, ketones, lactate, and alcohol levels through sweat analysis.
This breakthrough could pave the way for future medical wearables to rival mainstream devices like the Galaxy Ring and Oura Ring, eliminating the need for invasive finger-prick testing.
New smart ring prototype analyzes your sweat
The bulky prototype ring uses an osmotic hydrogel polymer to extract micro-sweat samples from the skin. | Image by Nature
A team of scientists from the University of California, San Diego, has developed a working prototype of a smart ring that can measure glucose, ketone, ascorbic acid, uric acid, lactate, and alcohol by analyzing your sweat.
The research is published in the prestigious science journal Nature, and can lead to new medical-grade wearables that can non-invasively measure a slew of important body metrics.
Our ring can continuously measure glucose, ketone, ascorbic acid, uric acid, lactate, and alcohol from passive osmotically extracted sweat, is powered by custom-built high-capacity flexible Zn-AgO batteries, and comprises ultra-compact, energy-efficient electronics for data processing and wireless transmission.
Tamoghna Saha et al., Nature, July 2026
The bulky prototype you see in the photos above may not look like a commercially ready product yet, but the team says it can continuously monitor all the aforementioned metrics for 12 hours straight. But the way this prototype works is truly fascinating.
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Would you buy a smart ring that can track your glucose, ketones, alcohol, and uric acid?
The ring uses osmotic hydrogel polymer to draw samples of your sweat
At the moment, this sweat-sensing ring looks more like a torture device. | Image by Nature
The researchers found a special hydrogel polymer that can draw micro-samples of your blood by osmosis (the movement of water molecules through a thin cell wall from a place with lots of water to a place with less water).
By utilizing an osmotic hydrogel polymer, the ring actively draws micro-fluid to the sensor surface, allowing for reliable continuous glucose and lactate readings without requiring physical exertion.
Tamoghna Saha et al., Nature, July 2026
Most wearables use photochromic sensors to measure things such as SpO2 max, heart rate, and even blood pressure variations. They shine a light at specific wavelengths and, using algorithms, track how the light reflects and refracts from your blood.
The platform is safe to be used on skin and exhibits high analytical accuracy with overall glucose MARD ranging ~13.72 %, while other biomarkers showing strong correlations (0.85 –0.90) with their respective blood profiles
Tamoghna Saha et al., Nature, July 2026
The new ring that measures sweat uses a totally different method, practically drawing real chemical samples from your sweat. The researchers also recorded a high accuracy and correlation with the medical-grade, reference devices used in the experiment.
However, there are still problems to be solved before this smart ring hits the shelves.
Should Samsung and the Galaxy Ring be worried?
The Galaxy Ring is a sleek and stylish device. But can it measure your ketones? | Image by PhoneArena
Not at this stage. Researchers point out that there are some engineering problems to be solved before their smart sensing ring becomes a commercially viable product.
For starters, miniaturization is key! No one would wear the bulky device shown in the pictures above by choice. The team is currently working on a waterproof design with a solid body, looking to remove the hinge mechanism completely.
The second hurdle is battery life. 12 hours of continuous monitoring is not very impressive, and not practical as well. A full 24-hour measurement window is needed for most of the medical conditions associated with the markers this ring tracks.
The implications could be huge
Sweat-sensing smart rings might be just around the corner, if big tech companies jump on this new discovery. | Image by Nature
However, as with every new and transformative tech, solving the engineering limitations are just a matter of time in most cases.
The implications of a non-invasive smart ring that can measure glucose, ketones, and uric acid are huge. According to recent industry analytics, over 500 million people worldwide manage diabetes or pre-diabetes and can masivelly benefit from a non-invasive way to track their blood glucose and ketones.
Let's not forget that the ring also tracks alcohol content and could serve as a reliable way to avoid any DUIs.
I mentioned Samsung earlier, but the fact of the matter is that any wearable tech giant could license and commercialize this new sweat-based analysis. Maybe the first Apple ring will be able to measure all those things, who knows?
I'm going to keep an eye on the tech and its further development. Would you buy and wear a ring that can track blood glucose and tell you if you've drank too much?
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Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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