Diapers usually rank very low on the list of items in need of a high-tech upgrade, despite products like the TweetPee recently hitting the market. But unlike a Twitter-enabled diaper, which provides information that anyone with a nose could figure out on their own, a new diaper from Pixie Scientific could actually warn parents of health issues before they become serious. The Smart Diaper uses several reactive agents and an app to monitor irregularities in an infant's urine over time and alerts parents if they need to visit a doctor.

 

Aside from a square panel on the front, the Smart Diaper looks and fits just like a regular disposable diaper. On the inside, that panel contains several non-toxic test strips situated underneath the absorbent core, so they never actually touch the child's skin. Once the diaper is wet, the strips react to leukocytes, nitrates, and a variety of other substances that could each indicate different health problems.