The "Wear and Measure" Approach: Linking Joint Stability Measurements from a Smart Clothing System to Optical Tracking
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Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Joint stability is essential for maintaining normal everyday function. However, assessment of stability often still relies on subjective or obtrusive methods. An unobtrusive approach would be to have our clothes assess our joint stability. Methods. A new application consisting of an attachable clothing sensing system (ACSS), constructed from a flexible carbon black and polyurethane composite film, was tested against an optical tracking system to assess if the ACSS placed across the knee could provide stability results that correlate with the optical tracking outcomes. Stability was challenged by reducing the base of support and by removing vision generating different experimental conditions. Results. Bland and Altman plots indicated a general proportional error between the measurement systems within each stability condition. However, across all conditions a Spearman correlation coefficient of 0.81 () was found between the displacement values and ACSS, showing a good association between stability measurements. Electromyography (EMG) also indicated that joint stability was challenged between the different conditions. The ACSS was experienced by users as comfortable and hardly noticeable. Conclusions. This study indicates that smart clothing can measure important physiological parameters in an unobtrusive manner. This “wear and measure” approach might change how we gather relevant clinical data in the future.
Date Issued
2015-10-15
Date Acceptance
2015-10-15
Citation
Journal of Sensors, 2015, 2015
ISSN
1687-7268
Publisher
Hindawi Publishing Corporation
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Sensors
Volume
2015
Copyright Statement
© 2015 Jeroen H. M. Bergmann et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
License URL
Sponsor
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
Wellcome Trust
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
Grant Number
N/A
088844/Z/09/Z
EP/K030760/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Technology
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Instruments & Instrumentation
Engineering
STANDING BALANCE
ADULTS
POSTURE
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
762869