Everyday clothing may soon capture and record body movements

by marc28198127

Conductive threads woven together offer more than just a fashionable statement – they also have the capability to capture and record body movements.

Researchers from the University of Bristol and the University of Bath have joined forces to advance a new type of wearable technology known as SeamSleeve. Their empirical study has paved the way for the creation of everyday clothing that can seamlessly capture and record body movements.

The incorporation of conductive threads into garment seams has enabled the creation of electrical circuits that change resistance based on the wearer’s movements.

The main goal was to develop a more advanced version of digital clothing capable of accurately detecting and recording body movements. This innovation has potential applications in areas like healthcare, rehabilitation, consumer electronics, and sports science, with the aim of enhancing both health outcomes and user experiences.

Wearable technology is aiming to surpass the capabilities of current motion-sensing devices, such as smartphones and smartwatches. Accurate movement data could lead to more effective monitoring and analysis of physical activities, potentially enhancing the wearer’s health and fitness objectives.

This sets the stage for e-textile designers and clothing manufacturers to create cutting-edge garments that will undoubtedly enhance exercise, physiotherapy, and rehabilitation, researchers said.

“We’re excited by the opportunity for clothing manufacturers to implement our designs in sleeves and other garment seams,” Professor Mike Fraser of the University of Bristol’s School of Computer Science commented. “We’ve shown that common overlocked seams in standard garment constructions can do a good job of sensing movement. The design avoids the need for a separate power source by pairing the seam with a charging coil, drawing the energy wirelessly from a mobile phone placed in the pocket.”

These threads exhibit changes in resistance when exposed to low voltages, enabling the garment to detect and record subtle movements and postures of the wearer. The data is then transmitted to the wearer’s phone, which is stored in the pocket, functioning both as a power source and a data receiver similar to Bluetooth.

AI programs on the phone analyze the data, interpreting specific gestures and postures. This allows for applications in exercise monitoring, physiotherapy, and rehabilitation.

“This means advanced motion-sensing garments could be made without altering existing manufacturing processes. We have also shown that smartphone apps using advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques can use this movement data to match body movement to specific postures or gestures such as physiotherapeutic exercises,” Mike said.

Journal reference:

  1. Olivia G Ruston, Adwait Sharma, and Mike Fraser. SeamSleeve: Robust Arm Movement Sensing through Powered Stitching. Proceedings of the Conference on Designing Interactive Systems 2024, Copenhagen, Denmark. DOI: 10.1145/3643834.366072

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