Northwestern University engineers have developed a small, wireless polygraph system you can wear.

Unlike polygraphs used in television crime dramas, this wearable version isn’t optimized to detect lies. Instead, engineers and physicians designed it to sense underlying stress hidden deep within the body — no interrogation room required.

The lightweight, bandage-like device gently adheres to the chest, where it simultaneously measures heart activity, breathing patterns, sweat response, blood flow and temperature. Together, these signals capture a real-time, whole-body view of stress.