SensAA-Design and Verification of a Cloud-Based Wearable Biomechanical Data Acquisition System

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Wearable Technology
• Assistive Devices

Background:

• Exoskeletons for daily living assistance are gaining traction but require further research.
• Long-term gait observation in real-world settings is crucial for designing effective exoskeleton systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a wearable, all-in-one data acquisition system for collecting biomechanical data during daily activities.
• To develop a cost-efficient and user-friendly system using off-the-shelf components and cloud storage.

Main Methods:

• A wearable system was developed to collect and store biomechanical data.
• System accuracy was verified by measuring knee joint angles against an optical motion analysis system at walking speeds of 3-12 km/h.
• Data was uploaded to a cloud database via a smartphone application.

Main Results:

• The proposed system accurately captured biomechanical data, with Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) ranging from 2.9° to 8°.
• This accuracy is comparable to or better than existing systems.
• The toolchain demonstrated successful data acquisition and cloud storage.

Conclusions:

• The developed system offers a powerful and scalable platform for biomechanical data collection and processing.
• It facilitates the automated generation of extensive human kinematics databases.
• This technology can significantly contribute to the advancement of exoskeleton design and assistive technologies.