Communications of the ACM
Kirigami Sensor Patch for Shoulders Could Improve Injury Recovery, Athletic Training
An innovative patch uses electronic sensors to understand the functional range of motion of the shoulder.
Credit: Levi Hutmacher/Michigan Engineering
University of Michigan (U-M) researchers have designed a sensor-equipped shoulder patch that measures one's functional range of motion.
The sensor was inspired by kirigami, the art of creating three-dimensional structures by folding and cutting paper, to follow the shoulder's contour and support flat fabrication.
The researchers' proof of concept had two strain gauges, to measure the raising and lowering of the arm, and cross-body movements.
Data from the kirigami sensor was cross-referenced with arm motions captured by a camera-based motion tracking system that uses reflective markers to track the angular positions of the arm and reconstructs them in a computer simulation.
The researchers envision such a sensor could be given to physical therapy patients, enabling them to log exercises and see progress through a smartphone app, or to athletes to improve their form by alerting a user of improper form in real time.
From University of Michigan News
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Abstracts Copyright © 2019 SmithBucklin, Washington, DC, USA
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