Smart clothing for ambulatory human motion capture
This invention is smart clothing (such as a shirt or pair of pants) for ambulatory motion capture comprising: an article of clothing; an electromagnetic energy emitter; an electromagnetic energy receiver; a helical stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway that spans a body joint, wherein motion of the body joint stretches and/or bends the pathway, and wherein stretching and/or bending of the pathway changes the flow of electromagnetic energy from the emitter to the receiver; and a data processor, wherein the data processor analyzes changes in the flow in order to measure motion of the body joint.
1. Smart clothing for ambulatory human motion capture comprising:
an article of clothing which is worn by a person;
a first electromagnetic energy emitter;
a first electromagnetic energy receiver;
a first stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway which is configured to span along a helical path around between 50% and 100% of the circumference of an arm or leg which includes a body joint, wherein electromagnetic energy flows from the first electromagnetic energy emitter to the first electromagnetic energy receiver through the first pathway, wherein the first pathway is configured to span the body joint when the article of clothing is worn by the person, wherein motion of the body joint stretches and/or bends the first pathway, and wherein stretching and/or bending of the first pathway changes one or more first parameters of the flow of electromagnetic energy from the first electromagnetic energy emitter to the first electromagnetic energy receiver;
a second electromagnetic energy emitter;
a second electromagnetic energy receiver;
a longitudinal stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy second pathway,
wherein the second pathway is configured to extend in a distal-to-proximal manner along a side of the arm or leg, wherein electromagnetic energy flows from the second electromagnetic energy emitter to the second electromagnetic energy receiver through the second pathway, wherein the second pathway is configured to span the body joint, wherein motion of the body joint stretches and/or bends the second pathway, and wherein stretching and/or bending of the second pathway changes one or more second parameters of the flow of electromagnetic energy from the second electromagnetic energy emitter to the second electromagnetic energy receiver; and
a data processor, wherein the data processor analyzes changes in the one or more first parameters and changes in the one or more second parameters in order to measure motion of the body joint, and wherein combined multivariate analysis of data from both the first and second pathways provides more accurate measurement of body joint motion than data from either the first pathway or the second pathway alone.
2. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the first electromagnetic energy emitter is configured to be located on a different side of the person's arm or leg than the first electromagnetic energy receiver.
3. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the first electromagnetic energy emitter transmits electrical energy into one end of the first stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy first pathway and the first electromagnetic energy receiver receives this electrical energy from the other end of the first stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy first pathway.
4. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the resistance, impedance, capacitance and/or conductivity of the first stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy first pathway changes as the first pathway stretches and/or bends.
5. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the first stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy first pathway further comprises one or more undulating, wavy, and/or sinusoidal electroconductive threads, yarns, or fibers.
6. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the first 1 stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy first pathway further comprises two or more layers, wherein at least one layer is electroconductive.
7. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the first stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy first pathway is woven into the fabric of the article of clothing.
8. The smart clothing in claim 1 wherein the first stretching and/or bending electromagnetic energy pathway is slid or otherwise inserted into a channel, pocket, opening, and/or pouch in the article of clothing.