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From Google Glass to smartwatches, wearable technology seems to be the next big thing in the world of gadgets.

But what if one of the most popular forms of wearable tech, fitness sensors that monitor your health, didn't need to be wearable at all?

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) claim they've designed such a system that measures vital signs through brick walls, and could one day do-away with the smart wristbands.

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have revealed a system that can monitor the heart beat and position of people through walls. The precise system measures the rise and fall of a person's chest so, for example, parents could monitor their sleeping baby while they are not in the room (pictured)

The research was conducted at MIT's Wireless Center, hosted in the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL).

The system works by transmitting a low-power wireless signal and using its reflections to track moving humans.

It can do so even if the humans are in closed rooms or hiding behind a wall.

As the signal is transmitted at a wall, a portion of the signal penetrates through, reflecting off a person on the other side.

Using a complex metric, the precise technology then estimates the size of the person.

The technology is so accurate it can measure the minute changes in a person's chest as they breathe, giving a reading for their heart rate with 99 per cent accuracy.

This could, for example, monitor a baby's breathing and heart rate remotely, or keep an eye on an elderly living at home alone.

And the same method could have even more uses, from recognising gestures and controlling 'smart' objects in a room, to even detecting emotions.

In the research, tiny antennas placed behind a wall were able to track the position of a person to mere centimetres. Each antenna was about the size of a coin (left) and, in the experiment, they were wired together (right) to monitor people through walls

The team - which includes Robert Miller, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science, and graduate students Fadel Adib and Zach Kabalec - has also developed the capability to track the movements of up to four distinct individuals.

This could be helpful for search-and-rescue operations, such as when emergency responders are trying to find survivors inside a burning building.

'It has traditionally been very difficult to capture such minute motions that occur at the rate of mere millimetres per second,' said MIT professor of electrical engineering computer science Dina Katabi, a co-author for the paper containing the study who also directs the Wireless Center.

'Being able to do so with a low-cost, accessible technology opens up the possibilities for people to be able to track their vital signs on their own.'

In the past year, a number of such wireless systems have sprung up aside from WiZ including WiTrack, also designed at MIT.

This device can plot movements and even follow gestures, meaning that a person can switch a light off in a separate room just by raising their arm.

Ground breaking: WiTrack can track movements and gestures, such as pointing at a lamp to switch it on, through walls without using cameras or wearable technology

Using radio signals about 1,000 times less powerful than a smartphone, so-called WiTrack bounces off objects detected through a wall to pinpoint a person.

WiTrack relies on several antennas to plot movements, and an algorithm is then used to sift through readings caused by waves hitting household objects such as sofas.

The designers behind WiTrack envision it being used for video games and to control household appliances.

The technology can even be used to track movements in a room (pictured) through walls. This could be useful to monitor the condition of elderly people who live alone. It could also provide a new way to play video games. Current system's such as Microsoft's Kinect rely on line-of-sight to work, for example

With video games, players would no longer have to remain in front of the computer, and could stalk enemies in hallways and launch ambushes from behind the sofa. 

It could also be used to help monitor elderly people who are at risk of falling, without an individual having to wear an alarm or put cameras inside their home.

While it will be years before the device is ready for commercial release, it is already making its mark as being cheaper than other devices and also does away with the need of cameras and other wearable technology.