Scientists at the University of Maryland have created Smart Underwear, the first wearable device designed to measure human flatulence. By tracking hydrogen in flatus, the device helps scientists revisit long-standing assumptions about how often people actually fart. It also opens a new window into measuring gut microbial metabolism in everyday life.

For decades, physicians have struggled to help patients with intestinal gas complaints. As gastroenterologist Michael Levitt, known in the field as the "King of Farts," wrote in 2000: "It is virtually impossible for the physician to objectively document the existence of excessive gas using currently available tests."

To address this challenge, researchers led by Brantley Hall, an assistant professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics at UMD, developed Smart Underwear--a tiny wearable device that snaps discreetly onto any underwear and uses electrochemical sensors to track intestinal gas production around the clock.

In their study published in Biosensors and Bioelectronics: X, a team led by UMD assistant research scientist Santiago Botasini found that healthy adults produced flatus an average of 32 times per day, roughly double the 14 (±6) daily events often reported in medical literature. Individual variation was extreme, with daily totals ranging from as few as four flatus events to as many as 59.

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