11. Applications and Implications
The aim of this assignment is to propose a final project masterpiece that integrates the range of units covered.
Assignment content:
- 11.1. What will it do?
- 11.2. Who has done what beforehand?
- 11.3. What will you design?
- 11.4. What materials and components will be used?
- 11.5. Where will they come from?
- 11.6. How much will they cost?
- 11.7. What parts and systems will be made?
- 11.8. What processes will be used?
- 11.9. What questions need to be answered?
- 11.10. How will it be evaluated?
11.1. What will it do?
The project is basically a "Wearable knee assessment and monitoring device". It will be created to help therapists and patients after knee replacement surgery to assess and monitor the knee functionality and capability to move, bend, and rotate. The device will be made in the size of adults' knee. Knee replacement surgery is usually operated when the knee joint is damaged and caused pain. It involves changing the knee with an artificial one.
11.2. Who has done what beforehand?
Rehabilitation and monitoring has always been a major concern after surgeries. Therefore, I found many related projects to my project idea on the internet.
Similar projects:
11.3. What will you design?
The project parts will be designed by me. I will use a piece of textile and conductive materials to create a Textile-Based Sensor that changes its resistance based on stretching length. It will be placed directly on the knee to measure the change in resistance when bending. The readings will be sent through a Bluetooth or a Wi-Fi module for analysis. All non-washable electronics components will be fixed on a small textile that can be attached to a wearable tight sleeve using two metal snap buttons sewed on with conductive textile. The sleeve can be adjusted in size using a sewable Hook and Loop Tape.
11.4-5-6. What materials and components will be used, where will they come from, and how much will they cost ?
| Qty | Part name | Description | Supplier | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AVR Microcontroller | ATtiny44 | Digi-key | $1.70 |
| 1 | Wi-Fi module | ESP8266 | Amazon | $4.50 |
| 1 | Lipo Battery | 3.7V 300mAh rechargeable lithium polymer battery | Sparkfun | $4.95 |
| 1 | Conductive Stretchable Fabric | - | adfruit | $24.95 |
| 1 | Conductive Thread | Made from stainless steel fiber | adfruit | $6.95 |
| 2 | Sewable snap buttons | - | adfruit | $3.95 |
| 1 | Conductive Hook & Loop Tape | - | adfruit | $6.95 |
| 1 | Neoprene fabric sleeve | - | - | - |
| 2 | Contact microphone | High sensitivity piezo film sensor | - | - |
11.7. What parts and systems will be made?
- The knee sleeve will be made from a neoprene fabric.
- Hook and Loop Tape will be sewed on the sleeve both ends in order to make it adjustable in size.
- Conductive fabric will be made using different methods and conductive materials to find out the most efficient and suitable one.
- All electronics components will be sewed on using a coductive thread on a piece of fabric and it will be attached to the sleeve using removable metal snap buttons.
- Readings will be sent to Node-RED using a wifi module.
- Received data will be analyed and the Node-RED system will output a certain command (voice sound) for different range of movements.
Programs will be used:
- Arduino IDE.
- Node-RED.
11.8. What processes will be used?
- Moulding to create the conductive textile.
- Circuit design.
- Embeded programming.
- Input devices.
- Electronics production.
11.9. What questions need to be answered?
- How to create a conductive textile sensor ?
- What is the expected range of motion for the knee after one, two, three ... etc weeks ?
- What is the expected range of motion for the knee after full recovery ?
- Where should the sensors be placed to measure different knee ligaments movements ?
11.10. How will it be evaluated?
Capability to measure the knee angle of motion accurately. Also, the ability to display the collected data in a clear manner.