A new wearable data capture system for gait analysis is being developed. It consists of a pantyhose with embedded conductive yarns interconnecting customized sensing electronic devices that capture inertial and electromyographic signals and send aggregated information to a personal computer through a wireless link. The use of conductive yarns to build the myoelectric electrodes and the interconnections of the wired sensors network as well as the topology and functionality of the sensor modules are presented.

Chapter Contents:

• 10.1 Introduction
• 10.2 Human gait
• 10.2.1 Gait modelling
• 10.2.2 Gait data characterization
• 10.3 Gait observation systems
• 10.3.1 Wearable body sensor networks
• 10.4 Conductive yarns
• 10.4.1 Variation of electrode-skin impedance and SNR during long-term monitoring
• 10.5 A BSN for gait analysis – the ProLimb system
• 10.5.1 e-Leggings
• 10.5.2 Interconnections in a mesh network
• 10.5.3 Sensor nodes and central processing module
• 10.5.4 Data acquisition and network capability
• 10.5.5 Routing protocol
• 10.5.6 Sensors time synchronization
• 10.6 Lab experiments
• 10.7 Conclusion
• References

Inspec keywords: microcomputers; body sensor networks; yarn; electromyography; mobile radio; medical signal detection; gait analysis; telemedicine; medical signal processing

Other keywords: interconnections; wearable sensor networks; aggregated information; wired sensors network; human gait; sensor modules; personal computer; wireless link; myoelectric electrodes; pantyhose; electronic devices; embedded conductive yarns; wearable data capture system; gait analysis; electromyographic signals

Subjects: Signal detection; Physics of body movements; Biology and medical computing; Mobile radio systems; Textile industry; Wireless sensor networks; Computer communications; Sensing devices and transducers; Bioelectric signals; Electrical activity in neurophysiological processes; Biomedical communication; Digital signal processing; Electrodiagnostics and other electrical measurement techniques