It is important that the value of e-textiles and wearable technologies help to improve the lifestyle of people who require medical treatment, rehabilitation after medical treatment and enhancing the lifestyle of elderly persons by assisting declining body functions.
Without wearable technologies many people that need around-the-clock monitoring are confined to rooms for stationary monitoring. By integrating monitoring sensors comfortably into clothing it allows these people to lead a more normal lifestyle.
Physorg published an article describing the work of a Virginia Tech engineering team which designed pants that contain various sensors and transmitting technologies which integrate the monitoring and motion activity of the wearer. The pants are built specifically to detect motion patterns indicative of someone falling.
According to a study by the Center for Disease Control, around one-third of adults age 65and over fall every year resulting in injury by one-fourth of them.
Various sensors are placed on strategical locations throughout the pant like gyroscopes, piezoelectric stretch sensors and accelerometers. Those sensors are communicating with so called e-TAGs, small printed circuit boards holding microcontrollers, other sensors in the system and communication functions.
The e-TAG system is smart enough to differentiate between motions deviation during normal conditions like walking on even or uneven ground but can detect irregularities typical for persons who might have instability in their motion patterns.
Wireless transmission of such irregularities to a monitoring station near or far away can direct the attention of the assistant personnel to take the appropriate actions.
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ya this is very nice. but we expect more information.