# Feasibility Study of Using Alternating Current Excitation to Obtain Electrodermal Activity with a Wearable System

## TL;DR

This study explores using AC excitation in a wearable system to improve the reliability of electrodermal activity measurements.

## Contribution

The study introduces a wearable system using full-wave AC excitation to reduce signal drift in electrodermal activity measurements.

## Key findings

- Full-wave AC excitation showed reduced signal drift compared to DC excitation.
- AC excitation provided greater temporal stability and better captured the skin's capacitive response.
- The system was tested on ten healthy participants under controlled conditions.

## Abstract

This study investigates the feasibility of using a wearable system with full-wave alternating current (AC) excitation to measure electrodermal activity (EDA). Typically measured using direct current (DC) excitation, EDA is often affected by signal drift due to electrode–skin polarisation. To address this, a portable device was developed that applies fixed-amplitude, full-wave AC signals and records EDA under controlled conditions. The electrical behaviour of the skin was also simulated using a multilayer model to analyse current propagation at different frequencies. The experimental procedure was conducted with ten healthy participants under controlled conditions. Two stages were carried out: the first compared the similarity of the skin conductance level (SCL) between DC and half-wave alternating current (AC) signals; the second analysed signal stability and skin response at full-wave AC excitation. Compared to DC, full-wave AC excitation demonstrated reduced signal drift, greater temporal stability, and enhanced measurement of the skin’s capacitive response. These findings support the adoption of AC excitation for EDA measurement, especially in ambulatory and real-time biomechanical applications where signal reliability and stability are essential.