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Wearable monitoring system for locomotion rehabilitation

( 2013) Catarino,A ; Rocha,AM ; Abreu,MJ ; José Machado da Silva ; João Canas Ferreira ; Vítor Grade Tavares ; Miguel Velhote Correia ; Zambrano,A ; Derogarian,F ; Dias,R

Human motion capture systems are used by medical staff for detecting and identifying mobility impairments, early stages of certain pathologies and can also be used for evaluation of the effectiveness of surgical or rehabilitation intervention. Other applications may involve athlete's performance, occupational safety, among others. Presently there is a considerable number of solutions available, however these systems present some drawbacks, as they are often expensive, considerably complex, difficult to wear and use in a daily basis, and very uncomfortable for the patient. With the purpose of solving the above mentioned problems, a new wearable locomotion data capture system for gait analysis is under development. This system will allow the measurement of several locomotion-related parameters in a practical and non-invasive way, comfortable to the user, which will also be reusable that can be used by patients from light to severe impairments or disabilities. The present paper gives an overview of the research that is being developed, regarding the design of the wearable equipment, textile support, and communications.