A set of UV sensors mounted on stretchable thin plastic films have been developed in Australia.
They were built by researchers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University, who note that they can be used as a body-mounted system to limit the risk of developing skin cancer.
The same technology could also be evolved to monitor dangerous gases in industrial situations.
UV monitoring
The RMIT sensors are created by nano-patterning zinc oxide onto an elastomeric base. The zinc oxide layer is 100 times thinner than a standard sheet of paper.