This study presents the design of a lower limb-worn, soft wearable robot that assists ankle plantar flexion using soft textiles and a shape memory alloy (SMA) wire actuator. Textile-based clothing-type soft wearable robots, the smart clothes in short, are proposed to build a soft exoskeleton that is inherently lightweight and comfortable for the wearer. SMA wire actuators are embedded in the smart clothes to provide assistive forces to the wearer. The SMA wire actuator is a low-profile wire-type artificial muscle actuator, which can be embedded on the textile without any extruded parts on the clothing. We have built an SMA wire actuatorembedded smart clothing that is able to provide ankle assistive force without rigid kinematic mechanisms. The smart clothing has a mass of 428.5 g without a power battery, and it can generate an ankle moment of 100 N cm in each ankle during walking.
We measured the electrical activity signals of the heart through vital signs monitoring garments that have textile electrodes in conductive yarns while the subject is in stable and dynamic motion conditions. To measure the electrical activity signals of the heart during daily activities, four types of monitoring garment were proposed. Two experiments were carried out as follows: the first experiment sought to discover which garment led to the least displacement of the textile electrode from its originally intended location on the wearer's body. In the second, we measured and compared the electrical activity signals of the heart between the wearer's stable and dynamic motion states. The results indicated that the most appropriate type of garment sensing-wise was the "cross-type", and it seems to stabilize the electrode's position more effectively. The value of SNR of ECG signals for the "cross-type" garment is the highest. Compared to the "chest-belt-type" garment, which has already been marketed commercially, the "cross-type" garment was more efficient and suitable for heart activity monitoring.
Background Wearable technologies have the potential to increase the quality of life and wellness for individuals with ASD and their families. However, there is a lack of research on WT for ASD and no research on understanding users. Thus, this interdisciplinary research was conducted to understand important design factors and preferred functions and design attributes for WT for ASD to guide the design process in the early-stages, and to develop and evaluate a WT prototype for ASD. Methods Individuals with ASD and their parents who are the potential users were recruited through purposive sampling. The data were analyzed through color-coding, major theme extraction, descriptive analysis, and a series of Welch's t-tests. A prototype was developed and evaluated based on the defined preferred functions and design attributes and design factors. Results First, the results about demographic backgrounds, prevalent symptoms, challenges in daily life, and user experiences related to WT were defined. Second, 12 important design factors of WT for ASD were identified. Third, individuals with ASD and their parents' preferred WT aspects on item types, functions, and design attributes, expected use frequency, use occasion, and data notification were identified. Lastly, a prototype was developed based on the results and evaluated for the future development of WT for ASD. Second, two groups were categorized according to the type of YOLO-disposition (high or low). Third, a well-being lifestyle based on a disposition type showed some significant differences in terms of both mental and physical health. Consumption value showed some significant differences in terms of differentiated value and social value. Conclusions The results are expected to help designersin the development process of WT for ASD and ultimately benefit individuals with ASD and their families and caregivers.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand different preferences and important design factors for wearable soft robots (WSR) and understand how these differences affect people’s perception, attitude and behavioral intentions toward using the WSR. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was conducted to purposely sampled participants who are adults aged over 18 of both genders with movement disabilities living in the USA. The collected data were analyzed through Welch’s t-test, Welch’s analysis of variance and linear- and multi-regressions for quantitative data and major theme extractions for qualitative data. Findings The results identified preferred functions and designs and important design factors for WSR and how these influence to users’ perception, attitude and behaviors on WSR. Originality/value The number of people with movement disabilities is anticipated to increase worldwide and it is essential to understand users for developing wearable movement aids for people with movement disabilities. However, there is no research on what functions and designs are preferred by WSR users and what aspects designers need to consider when developing these WSR. Thus, this research will contribute to the body of knowledge in WSR design; help WSR developers, designers and researchers better incorporate users’ preferences in the design process; and ultimately enhance the quality of life of people who have movement disabilities.
The purpose of this research was to compare consumers in the United States and India with different demographic backgrounds and to investigate their preferences, perceptions, attitudes, and behavioral intentions toward wearable trackers. An online survey was conducted and a series of independent t‐tests, Welch's analysis of variance, and Duncan's post hoc test were performed to investigate differences among groups. Simple and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to investigate relationships among variables. The results demonstrated that there were significant differences in country of residence, gender, marital status, and age. Also, there were significant relationships among tracking attributes preferences, perceived usefulness and ease of use, attitudes on using, and the behavioral intention to use wearable trackers. These results can benefit developers and marketers of wearable trackers by increasing their knowledge of the differences among targeted consumer groups. The outcome could be to increase adoption of wearable trackers in the United States and India.
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