Carbon Nanotube Elastic Fabric Motion Tape Sensors for Low Back Movement Characterization
Monitoring posture and movement accurately and efficiently is essential for both physical therapy and athletic training evaluation and interventions. Motion Tape (MT), a self-adhesive wearable skin-strain sensor made of piezoresistive graphene nanosheets (GNS), has demonstrated promise in capturing...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Sensors |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/12/3768 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849431825744658432 |
|---|---|
| author | Elijah Wyckoff Sara P. Gombatto Yasmin Velazquez Job Godino Kevin Patrick Emilia Farcas Kenneth J. Loh |
| author_facet | Elijah Wyckoff Sara P. Gombatto Yasmin Velazquez Job Godino Kevin Patrick Emilia Farcas Kenneth J. Loh |
| author_sort | Elijah Wyckoff |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Monitoring posture and movement accurately and efficiently is essential for both physical therapy and athletic training evaluation and interventions. Motion Tape (MT), a self-adhesive wearable skin-strain sensor made of piezoresistive graphene nanosheets (GNS), has demonstrated promise in capturing low back posture and movements. However, to address some of its limitations, this work explores alternative materials by replacing GNS with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). This study aimed to characterize the electromechanical properties of MWCNT-based MT. Cyclic load tests for different peak tensile strains ranging from 1% to 10% were performed on MWCNT-MT made with an aqueous ink of 2% MWCNT. Additional tests to examine load rate sensitivity and fatigue were also conducted. After characterizing the properties of MWCNT-MT, a human subject study with 10 participants was designed to test its ability to capture different postures and movements. Sets of six sensors were made from each material (GNS and MWCNT) and applied in pairs at three levels along each side of the lumbar spine. To record movement of the lower back, all participants performed forward flexion, left and right bending, and left and right rotation movements. The results showed that MWCNT-MT exceeded GNS-MT with respect to consistency of signal stability even when strain limits were surpassed. In addition, both types of MT could assess lower back movements. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1c1e3e314eb1448c92dfd68a4c4ab739 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj-art-1c1e3e314eb1448c92dfd68a4c4ab7392025-08-20T03:27:32ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202025-06-012512376810.3390/s25123768Carbon Nanotube Elastic Fabric Motion Tape Sensors for Low Back Movement CharacterizationElijah Wyckoff0Sara P. Gombatto1Yasmin Velazquez2Job Godino3Kevin Patrick4Emilia Farcas5Kenneth J. Loh6Active, Responsive, Multifunctional, and Ordered-materials Research (ARMOR) Laboratory, Department of Structural Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USADoctor of Physical Therapy Program, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USASchool of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USAQualcomm Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USAQualcomm Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USAQualcomm Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USAActive, Responsive, Multifunctional, and Ordered-materials Research (ARMOR) Laboratory, Department of Structural Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USAMonitoring posture and movement accurately and efficiently is essential for both physical therapy and athletic training evaluation and interventions. Motion Tape (MT), a self-adhesive wearable skin-strain sensor made of piezoresistive graphene nanosheets (GNS), has demonstrated promise in capturing low back posture and movements. However, to address some of its limitations, this work explores alternative materials by replacing GNS with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). This study aimed to characterize the electromechanical properties of MWCNT-based MT. Cyclic load tests for different peak tensile strains ranging from 1% to 10% were performed on MWCNT-MT made with an aqueous ink of 2% MWCNT. Additional tests to examine load rate sensitivity and fatigue were also conducted. After characterizing the properties of MWCNT-MT, a human subject study with 10 participants was designed to test its ability to capture different postures and movements. Sets of six sensors were made from each material (GNS and MWCNT) and applied in pairs at three levels along each side of the lumbar spine. To record movement of the lower back, all participants performed forward flexion, left and right bending, and left and right rotation movements. The results showed that MWCNT-MT exceeded GNS-MT with respect to consistency of signal stability even when strain limits were surpassed. In addition, both types of MT could assess lower back movements.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/12/3768graphenehuman performancemovementnanocompositephysical therapyposture |
| spellingShingle | Elijah Wyckoff Sara P. Gombatto Yasmin Velazquez Job Godino Kevin Patrick Emilia Farcas Kenneth J. Loh Carbon Nanotube Elastic Fabric Motion Tape Sensors for Low Back Movement Characterization Sensors graphene human performance movement nanocomposite physical therapy posture |
| title | Carbon Nanotube Elastic Fabric Motion Tape Sensors for Low Back Movement Characterization |
| title_full | Carbon Nanotube Elastic Fabric Motion Tape Sensors for Low Back Movement Characterization |
| title_fullStr | Carbon Nanotube Elastic Fabric Motion Tape Sensors for Low Back Movement Characterization |
| title_full_unstemmed | Carbon Nanotube Elastic Fabric Motion Tape Sensors for Low Back Movement Characterization |
| title_short | Carbon Nanotube Elastic Fabric Motion Tape Sensors for Low Back Movement Characterization |
| title_sort | carbon nanotube elastic fabric motion tape sensors for low back movement characterization |
| topic | graphene human performance movement nanocomposite physical therapy posture |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/12/3768 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT elijahwyckoff carbonnanotubeelasticfabricmotiontapesensorsforlowbackmovementcharacterization AT sarapgombatto carbonnanotubeelasticfabricmotiontapesensorsforlowbackmovementcharacterization AT yasminvelazquez carbonnanotubeelasticfabricmotiontapesensorsforlowbackmovementcharacterization AT jobgodino carbonnanotubeelasticfabricmotiontapesensorsforlowbackmovementcharacterization AT kevinpatrick carbonnanotubeelasticfabricmotiontapesensorsforlowbackmovementcharacterization AT emiliafarcas carbonnanotubeelasticfabricmotiontapesensorsforlowbackmovementcharacterization AT kennethjloh carbonnanotubeelasticfabricmotiontapesensorsforlowbackmovementcharacterization |