Wearable Stretch Sensors for Human Movement Monitoring and Fall Detection in Ergonomics

Harish Chander, Reuben F. Burch, Purva Talegaonkar, David Saucier, Tony Luczak, John E. Ball, Alana Turner, Sachini N. K. Kodithuwakku Arachchige, Will Carroll, Brian K. Smith, Adam Knight and Raj K. Prabhu
Additional contact information
Harish Chander: Neuromechanics Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
Reuben F. Burch: Department of Human Factors & Athlete Engineering, Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS), Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
Purva Talegaonkar: Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
David Saucier: Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
Tony Luczak: National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center (NSPARC), Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
John E. Ball: Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
Alana Turner: Neuromechanics Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
Sachini N. K. Kodithuwakku Arachchige: Neuromechanics Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
Will Carroll: Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
Brian K. Smith: Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
Adam Knight: Neuromechanics Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
Raj K. Prabhu: Department of Agricultural and Biomedical Engineering, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 10, 1-18

Abstract: Wearable sensors are beneficial for continuous health monitoring, movement analysis, rehabilitation, evaluation of human performance, and for fall detection. Wearable stretch sensors are increasingly being used for human movement monitoring. Additionally, falls are one of the leading causes of both fatal and nonfatal injuries in the workplace. The use of wearable technology in the workplace could be a successful solution for human movement monitoring and fall detection, especially for high fall-risk occupations. This paper provides an in-depth review of different wearable stretch sensors and summarizes the need for wearable technology in the field of ergonomics and the current wearable devices used for fall detection. Additionally, the paper proposes the use of soft-robotic-stretch (SRS) sensors for human movement monitoring and fall detection. This paper also recapitulates the findings of a series of five published manuscripts from ongoing research that are published as Parts I to V of “Closing the Wearable Gap” journal articles that discuss the design and development of a foot and ankle wearable device using SRS sensors that can be used for fall detection. The use of SRS sensors in fall detection, its current limitations, and challenges for adoption in human factors and ergonomics are also discussed.

Keywords: wearable devices; motion analysis; fall prevention; human factors; occupational falls (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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