16-01-2013, 11:55 AM
An E-Textiles
An E-Textiles.ppt (Size: 3.04 MB / Downloads: 29)
Virginia Tech e-Textiles Group
Design of an e-textile computer architecture
Networking
Fault tolerance
Power aware
Programming model
Design through simulation
Emulation/Simulation environment
Across population
Development of application prototypes
Application Motivation
Falls are one of the leading causes of death among the elderly in the U.S.
Only 50% of those hospitalized with fall-related injuries survive their next year
“Hip pads” for at-risk patients are bulky and inconvenient, leading to low compliance rates
E-textiles have been shown to have significant potential in the health care field
Our goal is to develop an e-textile solution that will achieve high compliance rates
Gait Analysis
Gait analysis can identify patients at risk for falling as well as several pathological conditions
Currently performed in dedicated laboratories at high expense
Somewhat artificial
Time consuming
Measures in Gait Analysis
Raw Data
Position (x,y,z) of the body
Force of foot-to-ground
Gait measures
Stride length
Required coefficient of friction
Transition of center of mass
Width of gait
E-Textile for Gait Analysis
We are building an e-textile system with the following features:
Pants augmented with sensors
Footwear with two force sensors
Hip airbag for the pants
Remote communication device
Advantages: no time for setup, can be used in home environment, mitigates fall impact, users more likely to be compliant, more natural measurements
The design issues identified are discussed in the following slides
How to Obtain Gait Measures
The sensors under consideration (accelerometers, force sensors, angular velocity sensors, gyroscopes) do not directly sense any of the gait measures
We propose that a combination of sensors, combined with computation, can determine these gait measures
Design Issue: What is the set of sensors that will provide these measures at an acceptable accuracy level?
Designing for the Masses
The proposed system must work across a range of sizes and gait types
A single weave design for the bolts of cloth
Standard garment sizes constructed from that bolt of cloth
Sensors will be in slightly different positions on each user due to motion and size differences
Range of sensor readings will vary across users
Design Issue: It is not practical to assume that we can construct and test prototypes for a range of users repeatedly while exploring the design space
Conclusions and Future Directions
E-textiles hold great promise in improving the usability and acceptance of home health care devices
Cross-disciplinary teams are essential
Design for cost-effective fabrication may allow for wider spread adoption
Simulation can be very effective in the design process
Common architecture can speed design and deployment
Gait analysis is an area where early impact of e-textiles is possible
Evaluation and deployment plan is essential