ScholarWorks@중앙대학교

초록

Human motion monitoring and analysis are essential in sports, rehabilitation, and healthcare applications. However, traditional laboratory-based systems are expensive, complex, and sensitive to occlusions and environmental factors. Systems using goniometers and surface electromyography (sEMG) electrodes have various drawbacks such as being uncomfortable and prone to motion artifacts. To address these limitations, in this study, we have developed a wearable athletic suit that integrates embroidered stretch sensors and sEMG electrodes for comprehensive, real-time monitoring of lower-limb movements. The suit enables the simultaneous measurement of hip and knee joint angles and the multichannel acquisition of muscle activity during various dynamic activities, including walking and running at different speeds. The stretch sensors, which are strategically positioned over major muscle groups, exhibit strong linear correlations between resistance and joint angle, thereby enabling reliable estimation of lower-limb kinematics throughout the gait cycle. The embroidered sEMG electrodes provide robust activity-dependent muscle activation profiles for identifying key gait phases and characterizing muscle coordination during locomotion. A combined analysis of the stretch sensor and sEMG signals demonstrates the capability of the system to capture major biomechanical events and distinguish the stance and swing phases during a gait cycle. These results highlight not only the effectiveness and versatility of the embroidered sensor system for detailed motion and muscle monitoring in laboratory and real-world environments but also the exceptional comfort and long-term wearability of the suit for continuous daily use.

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