MIT Develops Toolkit To Let Anyone Design Their Own Wearable Devices
Image via MIT CSAIL
Wearable devices that help track user’s movements have been steadily growing in popularity, especially when it comes to fitness. But because bodies are so different, it might be difficult to design a “fits all” device, and users may struggle to find one that suits them perfectly.
MIT has devised a new toolkit to solve this problem, and it’s accessible to everyone. The university’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) utilized electrical impedance tomography (EIT) to develop a new technology that can be implemented into wearable devices however the user sees fit.
“Existing devices can also only sense motion, limiting users to understanding only how they change positions over time,” the team explains of their research. “But EIT-kit can sense actual muscle activity.”
EIT is a non-invasive imaging method of measuring whether muscles are tensed or relaxed. It’s usually used to measure lung function or detecting cancer.
But in this scenario, it was used to create a select range of devices that were capable of sensing different muscle movements. For example, one was a wearable hand gesture recognizer; and another, a bracelet to help detect distracted driving.
Perhaps the latter would be a better idea than Amazon’s notorious cameras.
Image via MIT CSAIL
Like the team at MIT, users are able to take advantage of open-source EIT image libraries in order to design and make their own devices. As explained in the university’s news release, the EIT-kit 3D editor “puts the user in the driver's seat for full design direction.” Unlike others on the market, this one will be totally customizable.
As soon as the sensing electrodes are placed on the device within the editor, this can be exported and 3D-printed. After assembly, the item is put in place on the area of the body the user wishes to measure before being connected to the kit’s motherboard.
Finally, a microcontroller library will automate the measuring process. The values will then be available for the user to view, even if just on an easily accessible smartphone.
Image via MIT CSAIL
This is demonstrated in a device consisting of two bands. Although its appearance is simple, it’s able to sense thigh muscle strain and tension with the aim for injury recovery.
Monitoring activity like this could not only aid healing, but prevent future injuries by analyzing how the muscle works. In healthcare, the possibilities for these devices are endless.
Image via MIT CSAIL
In collaboration with the Massachusetts General Hospital, the team hopes to enhance rehabilitation methods while refining the technology behind these devices. According to study lead author Junyi Zhu, their ultimate goal is to develop “health-sensing devices with rapid function prototyping techniques and novel sensing technologies.”
There are also plans in place for the project to be showcased at this year’s ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST), taking place next month.
Toolkit lets anyone design their own muscle-sensing wearables: https://t.co/1TIHnMGTuT pic.twitter.com/taW8SQ8ALc
— MIT CSAIL (@MIT_CSAIL) September 22, 2021
[via Engadget, images via MIT CSAIL]
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