DESIGN NAME: Muscle Mobility Visualizer
PRIMARY FUNCTION: Muscle Mobility Visualizer
INSPIRATION: I always remember that my grandpa suffered a stroke when I was little. I know stroke recovery is a long and tough journey for a family. Through a year-long visit to San Francisco's 3 public rehab centers, I learned about the daily pain points and state of mind of elderly stroke patients. With the goal of improving elderly stroke patients’ life quality and self-recognition, I designed vibe.
UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION: It is challenging for products to provide functional supports as well as emotional cares for the elderly user group. Being able to get real-time feedback on their own muscle activities is not only an internal drive to rehab, and it is also a deepened emotional comfort to claim their independency. On the tech side, Vibe proactively integrate piezoresistive sensors (Medical testing), electrodes, and thermal wire fiber (Fashion industry). Vibe Also provide CMF plans to better fit elderly users aesthetically.
OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION: he wearable, which can be strapped onto the limbs using Velcro, features an innovative fabric interface that displays the user's muscle activity in real-time. When the user is not exerting any muscle activity or the device is powered off, the fabric displays in gray. However, when the user contracts their muscles, the fabric covering the active muscle parts turns green, providing instant feedback on the user's physical activity.
PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION: The project started in Feb 2019 in San Francisco and finished in Dec 2022 in China.
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PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY: Inner:
1. Conductive layer of silvered lycra fabric
2. Electrodes for impedance measure to help monitor electrical muscle activities
3. Piezoresistive sensor is capable to detect body impedance, contact pressure and muscle resistance while exerting.
Outter:
1. Conductive rubber makes an ideal mold to attach to exterior electric fabric.
2. Color-changing fabric is equipped with a micro-wire (conduct subtle temperature change) and a color-altering pigment.
SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: Conductive layer of silvered lycra fabric, Electrodes for impedance, Piezoresistive sensor, Conductive rubber, Color-changing fabric.
TAGS: Wearable, Mobility, Visualizer, Elderly, Intelligent, Instant
RESEARCH ABSTRACT: Type of Research: last for a year long user interview and revisit all the interviewees after research phase ended.
Methodology: Desk research, User research, Prototype evaluation.
Participants: Volunteer target users, Physical Trainers, Activity directors, Family members, CNAs from UCSF medical center, Laguna Honda rehabilitation center, San Francisco Healthcare and Rehab.
Impacts: Physically and emotionally help elderly stroke patients reconnect to society.
CHALLENGE: 1. How to eliminate the factors that create resistance to stroke victims’ persistence of rehabilitation in order to Increase their final recovery success rate.
2. What structure works for elderly stroke patients to put on the sleeve by themselves the best.
3. What type of the material and style is accepted by elderly stroke patient.
4. What technology and material are ideal to monitor muscle mobility and transform the result into an instant display in the form of a garment.
ADDED DATE: 2023-03-01 00:56:00
TEAM MEMBERS (1) : Rui Sun
IMAGE CREDITS: Rui Sun, 2022.
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