The Paper watch is an affordable fitness tracking device invented by Saudi Arabia researchers of the KAUST University. It is a cheap alternative to the Apple and consists of an aluminum foil, sponges with silicon sensors, all housed in a 3Dprinted casing.

The device does not tell time but is equipped with health tracking features like Apple and Samsung watches. It tracks, temperature levels, body sweat, blood pressure, and heart rate, and users can replace the soft components when they become obsolete. Further, the gizmo costs only $25 and the inventors plan to slash the rate in future. Mustafa Hussain, an electrical engineer at the KAUST said that they wanted to make the technology available to all. They plan to reduce the price by $5 per year so that after 5 years the watch can be purchased by everyone.

The device has a simple construction and the temperature and humidity sensors are constructed using a silver pen on the Post-it notes. Pressure sensors are built from aluminum foil and all the components are encased at the bottom, in a single layer. The second layer comprises of the circuit for sensors and the third layer consists of a microprocessor chip which is ultra thin. The battery and power management circuit is also included and the top layer has an RDIF tag. All these components are inside a 3D printed casing. The prototype was subjected to rigorous testing to ensure that the paper watch meets the Apple and Samsung standards.

The paper watch is currently undergoing software testing, a move aimed at making the device capable of pairing it with smartphones. Next, Hussain’s team hopes to focus on manufacturing similar devices for the elderly. They are also planning to add timekeeping abilities to the paper watch.