EAGER: A Magneto-Inductive Framework for Seamless Monitoring of Joint Kinematics

如今，监测关节运动学的黄金标准需要使用放置在人体上并由红外摄像机跟踪的反射标记。虽然技术仅限于实验室环境，但替代方法也仅限于人为环境，是突兀的和容易出错的，或阻碍自然运动。这项EAGER研究将通过开发一种新的服装来应对这些挑战，这种服装依赖于刺绣的E-纺织线圈来监测个人自然环境中的关节运动学。由于这项工作，新的和未开发的机会被设想为医疗保健，体育和制造工作等不同的应用。这项研究还有望重新定义“可穿戴设备”一词，从大体积的刚性身体传感器到无缝功能化织物。除了技术工作外，还提出了创造性的教育和推广工作，利用电子纺织品的实践和跨学科吸引力来激励该领域的学生，吸引工程领域的女性，这项EAGER研究旨在探索一种未经测试但具有潜在变革性的磁发电机的可行性，归纳框架监测关节运动学在个人的自然环境中，同时克服缺点，在国家的最先进的。纺织线圈，绣成衣服（紧身衣、袖子等）无缝监控关节屈曲/旋转，涵盖运动、康复、游戏、人机交互等多种应用。迄今为止报告的用于监测关节运动学的技术局限于人为环境（摄像机）;是突兀的并且遭受积分漂移（惯性测量单元）;需要视线（飞行时间传感器）;和/或阻碍自然运动（弯曲/变形传感器）。相比之下，这项EAGER研究利用Transformer原理和关节屈曲/旋转之间的令人信服的类比，实现了一类新的线圈功能化服装，克服了上述限制。我们的研究将首先探讨通过环绕线圈监测关节屈曲（无论肢体旋转）的可行性。然后将通过混合环绕/纵向线圈探索关节屈曲和旋转的同步监测。最后将考虑到现实世界，以加强知识基础。在不失一般性的情况下，重点将放在膝关节上;然而，这项研究的成功预计将建立必要的信心和工具，以监测其他关节的屈曲/旋转，并最终监测全身运动。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

Today's gold-standard for monitoring joint kinematics entails the use of reflective markers placed upon the human body and tracked by infrared cameras. While technique is limited to laboratory environments, alternative approaches are also restricted to contrived environments, are obtrusive and error-prone, or obstruct natural movement. This EAGER research will overall these challenges by developing a new class of garments that rely on embroidered E-textile coils to monitor joint kinematics in the individual's natural environment. As a result of this work, new and unexplored opportunities are envisioned for applications as diverse as healthcare, sports, and manufacturing work. This research is also anticipated to re-define the term "wearables" from bulk, rigid on-body sensors to seamlessly functionalized fabrics. Alongside the technical work, creative education and outreach efforts are proposed that leverage the hands-on and inter-disciplinary appeal of E-textiles to inspire students in the field, attract females in engineering, and educate the general public.This EAGER research aims to explore the feasibility of an untested but potentially transformative magneto-inductive framework for monitoring joint kinematics in the individual's natural environment while overcoming shortcomings in the state-of-the-art. The proposed framework relies on E-textile coils embroidered into garments (leggings, sleeves, etc.) to seamlessly monitor joint flexion/rotation, reaching out to applications as diverse as sports, rehabilitation, gaming, human-machine interaction, and more. Technologies reported to date for monitoring joint kinematics are bounded to contrived environments (cameras); are obtrusive and suffer from integration drift (inertial measurement units); require line-of-sight (time-of-flight sensors); and/or obstruct natural movement (bending/deformation sensors). By contrast, this EAGER research leverages a compelling analogy between transformer principles and joint flexion/rotation to realize a new class of coil-functionalized garments that overcome the limitations above. Our research will first explore the feasibility of monitoring joint flexion (irrespective of limb rotation) via wrap-around coils. Concurrent monitoring of joint flexion and rotation will then be explored via hybrid wrap-around/longitudinal coils. Real-world considerations will finally be brought into play to enhance the knowledgebase. Without loss of generality, focus will be on the knee joint; yet success of this research is expected to build the confidence and tools necessary to monitor flexion/rotation of other joints and, ultimately, full-body motion.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.