Electromyographic Clothing
This invention is an article of clothing with electromyographic (EMG) sensors which measures body motion and/or muscle activity. This clothing can be a short-sleeve shirt or a pair of shorts, wherein the electromyographic (EMG) sensors are on the cuffs. The electromyographic (EMG) sensors can be modular; they can be removably attached to different locations in order to create a customized article of electromyographic clothing which optimally measures the muscle activity of a particular person or muscle activity during a particular sport. This clothing can also include bending-based motion sensors.
1 . An article of electromyographic clothing comprising: one or more articles of clothing; a plurality of bending-based motion sensors which are attached to and/or integrated into the one or more articles of clothing, wherein these bending-based motion sensors are configured to collect motion data concerning changes in the configurations of a set of body joints; a plurality of electromyographic sensors which are attached to and/or integrated into the one or more articles of clothing, wherein these electromyographic sensors are configured to collect electromagnetic energy data concerning the neuromuscular activity of a set of muscles, and wherein muscles in the set of muscles move joints in the set of body joints; and a data processing unit which analyzes both data from the bending-based motion sensors and data from the electromyographic sensors in order to measure and/or model body motion and/or muscle activity.
2 . The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 1 wherein a bending-based motion sensor is selected from the group consisting of: conductive fiber motion sensor; electrogoniometer; optical bend sensor; piezoelectric fiber; piezoelectric sensor; piezoresistive fiber; piezoresistive sensor; strain gauge; and ultrasonic-based motion sensor.
3 . The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 1 wherein a bending-based motion sensor is configured to longitudinally span a person's elbow and/or shoulder.
4 . The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 1 wherein a bending-based motion sensor is configured to longitudinally span a person's knee and/or hip.
5 . The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 1 wherein combined, joint, and/or multivariate analysis of both motion data from the bending-based motion sensors and electromagnetic energy data from the electromyographic sensors enables more accurate measurement and/or modeling of body motion than analysis of data from either type of sensor alone.
6 . The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 1 wherein this article further comprises a plurality of inertial motion sensors.
7 . The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 6 wherein combined, joint, and/or multivariate analysis of motion data from bending-based motion sensors, motion data from inertial motion sensors, and electromagnetic energy data from the electromyographic sensors enables more accurate measurement and/or modeling of body motion than analysis of data from any type of sensor alone.
8 . The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 1 wherein the electromyographic sensors are modular.
9 . The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 1 wherein the electromyographic sensors are removably-attachable to the article of clothing.
10 . An article of electromyographic clothing comprising: an article of clothing worn by a person, wherein this article of clothing has a first set of clothing sections which are configured to have a first average distance from the surface of the person's body and a second set of clothing sections which are configured to have a second average distance from the surface of the person's body, and wherein the second average distance is less than the first average distance; and one or more electromyographic sensors which are attached to and/or integrated into one or more of the clothing sections in the second set.
11 . The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 10 wherein the second average distance can be manually adjusted by the person wearing the article.
12 . The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 10 wherein the article further comprises an actuator which automatically adjusts the second average distance.
13 . The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 10 wherein a clothing section in the second set spans a portion of the person's body in a circumferential manner.
14 . The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 10 wherein a clothing section in the second set encircles a person's shoulder, elbow, arm, torso, hip, knee, or leg.
15 . The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 10 wherein a clothing section in the second set is shaped like a ring, band, and/or conic section.
16 . The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 10 wherein there is a gap, pouch, or compartment between an interior surface or layer of the clothing and an external surface or layer of the clothing.
17 . The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 10 wherein there is a gap, pouch, or compartment between an interior surface or layer of the clothing and an external surface or layer of the clothing over the second sections.
18 . An article of electromyographic clothing comprising: a short-sleeve shirt or pair of shorts worn by a person, wherein this short-sleeve shirt or pair of shorts has a first set of clothing sections which is configured to have a first average distance from the surface of the person's body and a second set of clothing sections which is configured to have a second average distance from the surface of the person's body, and wherein the second average distance is less than the first average distance; and one or more electromyographic sensors which are attached to and/or integrated into one or more of the clothing sections in the second set.
19 . The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 18 wherein clothing sections in the second set are positioned at the ends of the sleeves of the short-sleeve shirt or at the ends of the pant legs of the shorts.
20 . The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 18 wherein clothing sections in the second set are cuffs.