Battery-free head orientation measurement using passive RFID tags

Real-time measurement of head rotation, a primary human body movement, offers potential advantages in rehabilitating head or neck motor disorders, promoting seamless human–robot interaction, and tracking the lateral glance of children with autism spectrum disorder for effective intervention. However...

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Main Authors: Jeyeon Jo, Heeju T. Park
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2025-01-01
Series:Wearable Technologies
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Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2631717624000264/type/journal_article
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author Jeyeon Jo
Heeju T. Park
author_facet Jeyeon Jo
Heeju T. Park
author_sort Jeyeon Jo
collection DOAJ
description Real-time measurement of head rotation, a primary human body movement, offers potential advantages in rehabilitating head or neck motor disorders, promoting seamless human–robot interaction, and tracking the lateral glance of children with autism spectrum disorder for effective intervention. However, existing options such as cameras capturing the entire face or skin-attached sensors have limitations concerning privacy, safety, and/or usability. This research introduces a novel method that employs a battery-free RFID tag-based wearable sensor for monitoring head orientation, as a substitute for the existing options like camera. By attaching a pair of passive RFID tags to the front of the head at a specific distance from each other, the signal strength of each tag within the pair differs based on the discrepancy in distance from the RFID reader caused by head rotation. Important parameters including distance between the tags, distance from the reader, and tag types, are investigated to suggest optimal sensor design. In tests involving random head rotations by 10 healthy adults, there was a significant correlation between the orientation of the head and gaze in the yaw direction and the differences in signal strength from the sensor pairs. The correlation coefficients ( $ {r}^2 $ ) were satisfactory, at 0.88 for head and 0.83 for left eye pupil orientations. However, the sensor failed to estimate pitch rotations for head and gaze, due to the insufficient vertical spacing between the tags. No demographic factors appeared to influence the results.
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series Wearable Technologies
spelling doaj-art-a7b057767bc5451a910ae9512d1251c82025-08-20T02:13:01ZengCambridge University PressWearable Technologies2631-71762025-01-01610.1017/wtc.2024.26Battery-free head orientation measurement using passive RFID tagsJeyeon Jo0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0362-0961Heeju T. Park1Department of Textiles, Merchandising, and Interiors, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USADepartment of Human Centered Design, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USAReal-time measurement of head rotation, a primary human body movement, offers potential advantages in rehabilitating head or neck motor disorders, promoting seamless human–robot interaction, and tracking the lateral glance of children with autism spectrum disorder for effective intervention. However, existing options such as cameras capturing the entire face or skin-attached sensors have limitations concerning privacy, safety, and/or usability. This research introduces a novel method that employs a battery-free RFID tag-based wearable sensor for monitoring head orientation, as a substitute for the existing options like camera. By attaching a pair of passive RFID tags to the front of the head at a specific distance from each other, the signal strength of each tag within the pair differs based on the discrepancy in distance from the RFID reader caused by head rotation. Important parameters including distance between the tags, distance from the reader, and tag types, are investigated to suggest optimal sensor design. In tests involving random head rotations by 10 healthy adults, there was a significant correlation between the orientation of the head and gaze in the yaw direction and the differences in signal strength from the sensor pairs. The correlation coefficients ( $ {r}^2 $ ) were satisfactory, at 0.88 for head and 0.83 for left eye pupil orientations. However, the sensor failed to estimate pitch rotations for head and gaze, due to the insufficient vertical spacing between the tags. No demographic factors appeared to influence the results.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2631717624000264/type/journal_articlesensorssoft wearable roboticsmonitorsdesign
spellingShingle Jeyeon Jo
Heeju T. Park
Battery-free head orientation measurement using passive RFID tags
Wearable Technologies
sensors
soft wearable robotics
monitors
design
title Battery-free head orientation measurement using passive RFID tags
title_full Battery-free head orientation measurement using passive RFID tags
title_fullStr Battery-free head orientation measurement using passive RFID tags
title_full_unstemmed Battery-free head orientation measurement using passive RFID tags
title_short Battery-free head orientation measurement using passive RFID tags
title_sort battery free head orientation measurement using passive rfid tags
topic sensors
soft wearable robotics
monitors
design
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2631717624000264/type/journal_article
work_keys_str_mv AT jeyeonjo batteryfreeheadorientationmeasurementusingpassiverfidtags
AT heejutpark batteryfreeheadorientationmeasurementusingpassiverfidtags