wearable tech helps remind workers to stay hydrated

Kyle Denny likes to volunteer. So when he was offered a chance to help test a new technology meant to protect people working in extreme conditions, he raised his hand.

The task was simple. It involved wearing a smart device on his right arm for one week while attending firefighting training in south Texas. While he performed drills, the patch was doing work of its own.

The patch, which pairs with a smartphone, monitors hydration levels and other markers of health and transmits the information to the user via an app.

For Denny, a chief operator who is on Chevron's emergency response team in Belle Chase, Louisiana, wearing it was an eye-opening experience.

"You try to push yourself in these trainings, and it's very hot in south Texas," he said. "To top it off, you probably have 50 to 60 pounds of gear on, so you start to feel fatigued quickly. This patch made me more aware of what I was drinking and when I was drinking it."