Date of Award

6-1-2011

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

M.S.

Organizational Unit

Daniel Felix Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science

First Advisor

Mohammad H. Mahoor, Ph.D.

Keywords

Wearable sensors, Range of motion (ROM), Inertial measurement units (IMUs)

Abstract

This thesis presents the development of three different methods for body joint angle measurement using wearable sensors. Continuous monitoring of patients' movements and activities has recently become one of the active research areas in the field of body sensor network and telehealth monitoring. For many medical and rehabilitation applications, a continuous monitor of the patients' daily activities at home without visiting the hospital is desirable. This type of monitoring is beneficial for the therapists and physicians as it does not require patients' physical presence. Traditionally, measuring the range of motion (ROM) is performed in hospitals by utilizing standard tools such as a goniometer. This method needs to be fulfilled by a physiotherapist in the hospital and requires great deal of overhead. Thus, a remote sensing technique for monitoring the progress of body joint flexion during regular daily life activities becomes very beneficial.

The main focus of this thesis is on developing different methods for sensing body joint angle, although we developed some mechanisms for transmitting measurements from patient's side to a remote server at the hospital. The first method for measuring the joint angle- specifically the knee joint- is based on an encoder attached to a brace. The second method is performed by utilizing a wearable cloth with flex-sensors. In the third method, inertial measurement units (IMUs) are employed to measure the desired joint angle. We conducted several experiments to compare the feasibility and accuracy of each method for angle measurement with ground truth measurements. The advantages and disadvantages of each approach are discussed and explained in detail in the assigned section.

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Saba Bakhshi Khayani

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

en

File Size

76 p.

Discipline

Electrical engineering, Engineering

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