University of Maryland Launches “Smart Underwear” to Scientifically Measure Human Farts
TechSunday, 01 March 2026 at 04:55
According to Scitechdaily, the University of Maryland (via ITHome) is leading a national study that turns an everyday topic into serious science. Researchers are recruiting volunteers across the United States to help measure and analyze human flatulence using a new wearable device. Yeah, they're monitoring farts through smart underwear.
Smart Briefs, Introduces a Smart Underwear and Bring Real Data to Gut Research
The team has developed what they call the first wearable designed specifically to track farts. The device, known as “Smart Briefs,” attaches to regular underwear and measures the hydrogen released during gas. In the end, users will have some smart underwear. For years, doctors relied on patient estimates and small lab studies, which often produced unreliable results.
Hydrogen is key because it is produced by gut microbes when they break down undigested carbohydrates. By tracking hydrogen levels continuously, researchers can monitor microbial activity in real time, similar to how glucose monitors track blood sugar.
Key Points:
- The University of Maryland is leading a national study on flatulence.
- “Smart Briefs” measure hydrogen released during gas to track gut activity.
- Early data suggests adults pass gas about 32 times per day on average.
- The Human Fart Atlas Project aims to establish a clear medical reference range.
In a study published in Biosensors & Bioelectronics: X, researchers found that healthy adults fart about 32 times a day on average. That is much higher than the old estimate of around 14 times per day. The numbers also vary widely from person to person. Some people farted only four times a day, while others reached up to 59 times.
Read also
Human Fart Atlas
The project, called the Human Fart Atlas, aims to establish a proper reference range. There is currently no defined standard for what counts as normal flatulence. But the new smart underwear, powered by smart briefs, will soon bring more data.
Early findings from the new smart underwear suggest three broad digestive profiles:
- High-fiber “Buddha-type” digesters with minimal discomfort
- High hydrogen producers with frequent gas
- A general middle group
By combining wearable data with dietary records and microbiome analysis, researchers hope to better understand how food, probiotics, and gut bacteria influence digestion. It may sound unusual, but objective measurement could finally bring clarity to a surprisingly common medical complaint.
Loading
