SAARBRUCKEN, Germany—Engineers at Saarland University have developed an ultrathin, flexible film that can act as a sensor and can be integrated within a glove.

Historic events make a Major League Baseball (MLB) season memorable. In October 2017, for instance, the Houston Astros won its first World Series championship ever. Several months before that, however, a less-well-known event took place: MLB approved the use of any Whoop Inc. wearable fitness tracker by all players and coaches in games.

JACKSON, MN--Farmers never take a day off. Nor do their tractors. Growers rely on their machines to plow, plant, till, spray, bale and harvest a wide variety of crops in all sorts of conditions.

VALENCIA, Spain—Ford Motor Co. has developed a wearable device that, when connected to a smartphone app, enables assembly line workers to make faster and more accurate quality checks on new vehicles.

ANDERSON, SC—Workers at an automotive sensor factory here are wearing smart watches to alert them to production faults on the assembly line.

Engineers are integrating thin, flexible electronics and sensors into belts, glasses, headgear, jewelry, shirts, shoes, watches and a wide variety of other products.