Novel printed body worn sensor for measuring the human movement orientation

Sensor Review ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Iman Mokhlespour Esfahani ◽  
Somaye Taghinezhad ◽  
Vahid Mottaghitalab ◽  
Roya Narimani ◽  
Mohammad Parnianpour
Keyword(s):  
Wearable Sensors ◽  
Chemical Vapor ◽  
Human Movement ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Calibration Procedure ◽  
Morphological Characterization ◽  
Human Motion ◽  
Wearable Sensor ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Calibration Methods

Purpose The purpose of this study is the measuring of the human movement using printed wearable sensor. Human movement measurement is one of the usages for wearable sensors. This technology assists the researchers to collect data from the daily activities of individuals. In other words, the kinematics data of human motion will be extracted from this data and implemented in biomechanical aspects. Design/methodology/approach This study presents an innovative printed wearable sensor which can be used for measuring human movement orientations. In this paper, the manufacturing process, implementation, measurement setup and calibration procedure of this new sensor will be explained, and the results of calibration methods will be presented. The conductive flexible nylon/lycra fabric strain gauge was developed using polypyrrole (PPy)–1, 5-naphthalenedisulfonic acid by using a sophisticated method composed of screen printing followed by chemical vapor deposition at room temperature. Findings The morphological characterization using scanning electron microscopy shows the PPy-coated fabric exhibiting a homogenous and smooth surface. Based on the results, the linearity and hysteresis error are 98 and 8 per cent, respectively. Finally, the behavior of our sensor is evaluated in some cases, and the effects of relaxation and strain rate will be discussed. Practical implications The wearable sensor is one of the most advanced technologies in biomedical engineering. It can be used in several applications for prohibition, diagnosing and treatment of diseases. Originality/value The paper present original data acquired from a technical set-up in biomechanic labs. An innovative method was used for collecting the resistance changing of the sensor. A measurement setup was prepared as a transducer to convert the resistance into voltage.

Human-inspired motion model of upper-limb with fast response and learning ability – a promising direction for robot system and control

2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong Qiao ◽  
Chuan Li ◽  
Peijie Yin ◽  
Wei Wu ◽  
Zhi-Yong Liu
Keyword(s):  
Robot Control ◽  
Human Movement ◽  
Fast Response ◽  
Neural System ◽  
Human Motion ◽  
Learning Ability ◽  
Propagation Mechanism ◽  
Motion Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Movement System

Purpose – Human movement system is a Multi-DOF, redundant, complex and nonlinear system formed by coordinating combination of neural system, bones, muscles and joints, which is robust and has fast response and learning ability. Imitating human movement system can improve robustness, fast response and learning ability of the robots. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, we propose a new motion model based on the human motion pathway, especially the information propagation mechanism between the cerebellum and spinal cord. Findings – The proposed motion model proves to have fast response and learning ability through experiments, which matches the features of human motion. Originality/value – The proposed model in this paper introduces the habitual theory in kinesiology and neuroscience into robot control, and improves robustness, fast response and learning ability of the robots. This paper proves that introduction of neuroscience has an important guiding significance for precise and adaptive robot control, such as assembly automation.

Recognizing activities of the elderly using wearable sensors: a comparison of ensemble algorithms based on boosting

Sensor Review ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 743-751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuchuan Wu ◽  
Shengfeng Qi ◽  
Feng Hu ◽  
Shuangbao Ma ◽  
Wen Mao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Action Recognition ◽  
Wearable Sensors ◽  
Recognition Rate ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Human Action ◽  
Single Type ◽  
Wearable Sensor ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Linear Discriminant ◽  
Ensemble Algorithms

Purpose In human action recognition based on wearable sensors, most previous studies have focused on a single type of sensor and single classifier. This study aims to use a wearable sensor based on flexible sensors and a tri-axial accelerometer to collect action data of elderly people. It uses a statistical modeling approach based on the ensemble algorithm to classify actions and verify its validity. Design/methodology/approach Nine types of daily actions were collected by the wearable sensor device from a group of elderly volunteers, and the time-domain features of the action sequences were extracted. The dimensionality of the feature vectors was reduced by linear discriminant analysis. An ensemble learning method based on XGBoost was used to build a model of elderly action recognition. Its performance was compared with the action recognition rate of other algorithms based on the Boosting algorithm, and with the accuracy of single classifier models. Findings The effectiveness of the method was validated by three experiments. The results show that XGBoost is able to classify nine daily actions of the elderly and achieve an average recognition rate of 94.8 per cent, which is superior to single classifiers and to other ensemble algorithms. Practical implications The research could have important implications for health care, including the treatment and rehabilitation of the elderly, and the prevention of falls. Originality/value Instead of using a single type of sensor, this research used a wearable sensor to obtain daily action data of the elderly. The results show that, by using the appropriate method, the device can obtain detailed data of joint action at a low cost. Comparing differences in performance, it was concluded that XGBoost is the most suitable algorithm for building a model of elderly action recognition. This method, together with a wearable sensor, can provide key data and accurate feedback information to monitor the elderly in their rehabilitation activities.

Vision-based calibration of a Hexa parallel robot

2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 296-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehdi Dehghani ◽  
Mahdi Ahmadi ◽  
Alireza Khayatian ◽  
Mohamad Eghtesad ◽  
Mehran Yazdi
Keyword(s):  
Parallel Robot ◽  
Calibration Procedure ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Kinematic Calibration ◽  
Kinematic Parameters ◽  
Laptop Computer ◽  
Positioning Accuracy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Calibration Methods ◽  
Usb Camera

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a vision-based method for the kinematic calibration of a six-degrees-of-freedom parallel robot named Hexa using only one Universal Serial Bus (USB) camera and a chess pattern installed on the robot's mobile platform. Such an approach avoids using any internal sensors or complex three-dimensional measurement systems to obtain the pose (position/orientation) of the robot's end-effector or the joint coordinates. Design/methodology/approach – The setup of the proposed method is very simple; only one USB camera connected to a laptop computer is needed and no contact with the robot is necessary during the calibration procedure. For camera modeling, a pinhole model is used; it is then modified by considering some distortion coefficients. Intrinsic and extrinsic parameters and the distortion coefficients are found by an offline minimization algorithm. The chess pattern makes image corner detection very straightforward; this detection leads to finding the camera and then the kinematic parameters. To carry out the calibration procedure, several trajectories are run (the results of two of them are presented here) and sufficient specifications of the poses (positions/orientations) are calculated to find the kinematic parameters of the robot. Experimental results obtained when applying the calibration procedure on a Hexa parallel robot show that vision-based kinematic calibration yields enhanced and efficient positioning accuracy. After successful calibration and addition of an appropriate control scheme, the robot has been considered as a color-painting prototype robot to serve in relevant industries. Findings – Experimental results obtained when applying the calibration procedure on a Hexa parallel robot show that vision-based kinematic calibration yields enhanced and efficient positioning accuracy. Originality/value – The enhanced results show the advantages of this method in comparison with the previous calibration methods.

scholarly journals Rehabilitation and Return to Sport Assessment after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury: Quantifying Joint Kinematics during Complex High-Speed Tasks through Wearable Sensors

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 2331
Author(s):  
Stefano Di Paolo ◽  
Nicola Francesco Lopomo ◽  
Francesco Della Villa ◽  
Gabriele Paolini ◽  
Giulio Figari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Excellent Agreement ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Wearable Sensors ◽  
Return To Sport ◽  
Acl Injury ◽  
Wearable Sensor ◽  
Anterior Cruciate ◽  
Full Body

The aim of the present study was to quantify joint kinematics through a wearable sensor system in multidirectional high-speed complex movements used in a protocol for rehabilitation and return to sport assessment after Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury, and to validate it against a gold standard optoelectronic marker-based system. Thirty-four healthy athletes were evaluated through a full-body wearable sensor (MTw Awinda, Xsens) and a marker-based optoelectronic (Vicon Nexus, Vicon) system during the execution of three tasks: drop jump, forward sprint, and 90° change of direction. Clinically relevant joint angles of lower limbs and trunk were compared through Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r), and the Coefficient of Multiple Correlation (CMC). An excellent agreement (r > 0.94, CMC > 0.96) was found for knee and hip sagittal plane kinematics in all the movements. A fair-to-excellent agreement was found for frontal (r 0.55–0.96, CMC 0.63–0.96) and transverse (r 0.45–0.84, CMC 0.59–0.90) plane kinematics. Movement complexity slightly affected the agreement between the systems. The system based on wearable sensors showed fair-to-excellent concurrent validity in the evaluation of the specific joint parameters commonly used in rehabilitation and return to sport assessment after ACL injury for complex movements. The ACL professionals could benefit from full-body wearable technology in the on-field rehabilitation of athletes.

The Feasibility and Effectiveness of Wearable Sensor Technology in the Management of Elderly Diabetics with Foot Ulcer Remission: A Proof-Of-Concept Pilot Study with Six Cases

Gerontology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Chenzhen Du ◽  
Hongyan Wang ◽  
Heming Chen ◽  
Xiaoyun Fan ◽  
Dongliang Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Stride Length ◽  
Wearable Sensors ◽  
Foot Ulcer ◽  
Wearable Devices ◽  
Foot Ulcers ◽  
Diabetic Patients ◽  
Wearable Sensor ◽  
Double Support ◽  
Gait Parameters

Aims: Using specials wearable sensors, we explored changes in gait and balance parameters, over time, in elderly patients at high risk of diabetic foot, wearing different types of footwear. This assessed the relationship between gait and balance changes in elderly diabetic patients and the development of foot ulcers, in a bid to uncover potential benefits of wearable devices in the prognosis and management of the aforementioned complication. Methods: A wearable sensor-based monitoring system was used in middle-elderly patients with diabetes who recently recovered from neuropathic plantar foot ulcers. A total of 6 patients (age range: 55–80 years) were divided into 2 groups: the therapeutic footwear group (n = 3) and the regular footwear (n = 3) group. All subjects were assessed for gait and balance throughout the study period. Walking ability and gait pattern were assessed by allowing participants to walk normally for 1 min at habitual speed. The balance assessment program incorporated the “feet together” standing test and the instrumented modified Clinical Test of Sensory Integration and Balance. Biomechanical information was monitored at least 3 times. Results: We found significant differences in stride length (p < 0.0001), stride velocity (p < 0.0001), and double support (p < 0.0001) between the offloading footwear group (OG) and the regular footwear group on a group × time interaction. The balance test embracing eyes-open condition revealed a significant difference in Hip Sway (p = 0.004), COM Range ML (p = 0.008), and COM Position (p = 0.004) between the 2 groups. Longitudinally, the offloading group exhibited slight improvement in the performance of gait parameters over time. The stride length (odds ratio 3.54, 95% CI 1.34–9.34, p = 0.018) and velocity (odds ratio 3.13, 95% CI 1.19–8.19, p = 0.033) of OG patients increased, converse to the double-support period (odds ratio 6.20, 95% CI 1.97–19.55, p = 0.002), which decreased. Conclusions: Special wearable devices can accurately monitor gait and balance parameters in patients in real time. The finding reveals the feasibility and effectiveness of advanced wearable sensors in the prevention and management of diabetic foot ulcer and provides a solid background for future research. In addition, the development of foot ulcers in elderly diabetic patients may be associated with changes in gait parameters and the nature of footwear. Even so, larger follow-up studies are needed to validate our findings.

“That's not how I see it”: female and male perspectives on the academic role

2007 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 497-515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Shaw ◽  
Catherine Cassell
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Business School ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
School Context ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Role ◽  
The Uk

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a piece of empirical work that examines gender differences in how academics make sense of performance within university business schools in the UK.Design/methodology/approachThe research reported draws on data collected using a life history and repertory grid methodology with male and female interviewees from two university business schools.FindingsThe findings are discussed in relation to how academics understand what is valued about their role and what they believe the organisation rewards and values when it comes to promotion. Gender differences are shown to exist in the ways women and men define the academic role and in what they think is important both to themselves and the institution.Originality/valueThe paper presents original data on gender differences within a business school context.

scholarly journals Do gender differences in career aspirations contribute to sticky floors?

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 580-593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Deschacht ◽  
Ann-Sophie De Pauw ◽  
Stijn Baert
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
Career Decisions ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Young Female ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Employee Preferences ◽  
Job Offers ◽  
Female Professionals ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test hypotheses regarding the importance of employee preferences in explaining sticky floors, the pattern that women are, compared to men, less likely to start to climb the job ladder. Design/methodology/approach The authors use original data obtained using a survey and a vignette study in which participants had to score the likeliness with which they would accept job offers with different promotion characteristics. Findings The main findings are that young female professionals have a less pronounced preference for more demanding and less routinary jobs and that this effect is mediated by the greater risk aversion and anticipated gender discrimination among women. No gender differences were found in the relative likeliness to apply for jobs that involve a promotion in terms of job authority. Research limitations/implications The vignette method assumes that artificial settings with low stakes do not bias results. Another limitation follows from the focus on inter-organizational promotions among young professionals, which raises the question to what extent the results can be generalized to broader settings. Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature on gender differences in careers by measuring the impact of employee preferences on gender differences in career decisions.

Wearable sensors bring new benefits to continuous medical monitoring, real time physical activity assessment, baby monitoring and industrial applications

Sensor Review ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Bloss
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Continuous Monitoring ◽  
Medical Condition ◽  
Wearable Sensors ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
Industrial Applications ◽  
Medical Monitoring ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Doctor's Office ◽  
Monitoring Technologies

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the recent advancements in the development of wearable sensors which can continuously monitor critical medical, assess athletic activity, watch babies and serve industrial applications. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents an in-depth review of a number of developments in wearable sensing and monitoring technologies for medical, athletic and industrial applications. Researchers and companies around the world were contacted to discuss their direction and progress in this field of medical condition and industrial monitoring, as well as discussions with medical personnel on the perceived benefits of such technology. Findings – Dramatic progress is being made in continuous monitoring of many important body functions that indicate critical medical conditions that can be life-threatening, contribute to blindness or access activity. In the industrial arena, wearable devices bring remote monitoring to a new level. Practical implications – Doctors will be able to replace one-off tests with continuous monitoring that provides a much better continuous real-time “view” into the patient’s conditions. Wearable monitors will help provide much better medical care in the future. Industrial managers and others will be able to monitor and supervise remotely. Originality/value – An expert insight into advancements in medical condition monitoring that replaces the one-time “finger prick” type testing only performed in the doctor’s office. It is also a look at how wearable monitoring is greatly improved and serving athletics, the industry and parents.

scholarly journals Wearable Sensor and Internet of Things Technology for Better Medical Science: A Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4.11) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arisa Olivia Putri ◽  
Musab A. M. Ali ◽  
Mohammad Saad ◽  
Sidiq Samsul Hidayat
Keyword(s):  
Internet Of Things ◽  
User Interfaces ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Wearable Sensors ◽  
Medical Science ◽  
Mobile User ◽  
Wearable Sensor ◽  
Main Concept ◽  
Paper Review ◽  
Internet Of Things Technology

E-health becomes one of the internet's products for healthcare. The problems of health service such as far hospital and expensive examination fees become the emergence of this technology. Consequently, people reluctant to check their health to hospital. E-health provides information on disease prevention, detecting early symptoms, and monitoring the patient's condition based on medical parameters from a far distance. Internet of things became the main concept in this system, which combines wearable sensors, communication systems, and mobile user interfaces. Reliable and valid system, easily carried, help the doctor to monitor patients from far distance expectantly to overcome the problems. The aims of this paper review are describing how an internet of things technology and wearable sensor help medical science and find the best way to create a health monitoring system.   

scholarly journals Experimental Characterization of Inkjet-Printed Stretchable Circuits for Wearable Sensor Applications

Sensors ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 3476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jumana Abu-Khalaf ◽  
Razan Saraireh ◽  
Saleh Eisa ◽  
Ala’aldeen Al-Halhouli
Keyword(s):  
Wearable Sensors ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Experimental Characterization ◽  
Wearable Sensor ◽  
Successful Development ◽  
Sensor Applications ◽  
Cost Effective Method ◽  
Stretchable Circuits ◽  
Nanoparticle Ink

This paper introduces a cost-effective method for the fabrication of stretchable circuits on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) using inkjet printing of silver nanoparticle ink. The fabrication method, presented here, allows for the development of fully stretchable and wearable sensors. Inkjet-printed sinusoidal and horseshoe patterns are experimentally characterized in terms of the effect of their geometry on stretchability, while maintaining adequate electrical conductivity. The optimal fabricated circuit, with a horseshoe pattern at an angle of 45°, is capable of undergoing an axial stretch up to a strain of 25% with a resistance under 800 Ω. The conductivity of the circuit is fully reversible once it is returned to its pre-stretching state. The circuit could also undergo up to 3000 stretching cycles without exhibiting a significant change in its conductivity. In addition, the successful development of a novel inkjet-printed fully stretchable and wearable version of the conventional pulse oximeter is demonstrated. Finally, the resulting sensor is evaluated in comparison to its commercially available counterpart.

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