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Piao J, Kim M, Kim J, Kim C, Han S, Back I, Koh JS, Koo S. Development of a comfort suit-type soft-wearable robot with flexible artificial muscles for walking assistance. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4869. [PMID: 36964180 PMCID: PMC10038994 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32117-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Anchoring components are added to wearable robots to ensure a stable interaction between the suits and the human body and to minimize the displacement of the suits. However, these components can apply pressure to the body and can cause user dissatisfaction, which can decrease willingness to use the suits. Therefore, this study aims to develop a suit-type soft-wearable robot platform for walking assistance by providing comfortable garment pressure to ensure user satisfaction. The first prototype of a wearable robot suit was developed with anchoring components on the shoulders, waist, and thighs based on previous research results. Wear tests were conducted to measure garment pressure depending on posture using pressure sensors, and satisfaction surveys were conducted. The second prototype design was then developed, and performance tests with flexible artificial muscles and a satisfaction survey were conducted. Regarding the first prototype, the participants felt more than normal pressure in the shoulders and relatively less pressure in the thighs and calves. Thus, compared to the first design, the second design ensured a decreased garment pressure and resulted in an improvement of overall user satisfaction. These results can help provide guidance in the development of wearable robots by taking pressure comfort and user satisfaction into consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaoli Piao
- Department of Clothing, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Minseo Kim
- Department of Clothing and Textiles, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeesoo Kim
- Department of Clothing and Textiles, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Changhwan Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Seunghee Han
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Inryeol Back
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Je-Sung Koh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sumin Koo
- Department of Clothing and Textiles, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea.
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Halász M, Geršak J, Bakonyi P, Oroszlány G, Koleszár A, Nagyné Szabó O. Study on the Compression Effect of Clothing on the Physiological Response of the Athlete. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 15:ma15010169. [PMID: 35009314 PMCID: PMC8746162 DOI: 10.3390/ma15010169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The study aimed to analyze whether the high compression of unique, tight-fitting sportswear influences the clothing physiology comfort of the athlete. Three specific sportswear with different compression were tested on four subjects while they were running on a treadmill with increasing intensity. The compression effect of the sportswear on the body of the test persons, the temperature distribution of the subjects, and the intensity of their perspiration during running were determined. The results indicate that the compression effect exerted by the garments significantly influences the clothing physiology comfort of the athlete; a higher compression load leads to more intense sweating and higher skin temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Halász
- Institute for Industrial Product Design, Sándor Rejtő Faculty of Light Industry and Environmental Protection Engineering, Óbuda University, Doberdó u. 6, H-1034 Budapest, Hungary; (G.O.); (A.K.); (O.N.S.)
| | - Jelka Geršak
- Research and Innovation Centre for Design and Clothing Science, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova ulica 17, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia;
| | - Péter Bakonyi
- Department of Polymer Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Műegyetem rkp. 3, H-1111 Budapest, Hungary;
| | - Gabriella Oroszlány
- Institute for Industrial Product Design, Sándor Rejtő Faculty of Light Industry and Environmental Protection Engineering, Óbuda University, Doberdó u. 6, H-1034 Budapest, Hungary; (G.O.); (A.K.); (O.N.S.)
| | - András Koleszár
- Institute for Industrial Product Design, Sándor Rejtő Faculty of Light Industry and Environmental Protection Engineering, Óbuda University, Doberdó u. 6, H-1034 Budapest, Hungary; (G.O.); (A.K.); (O.N.S.)
| | - Orsolya Nagyné Szabó
- Institute for Industrial Product Design, Sándor Rejtő Faculty of Light Industry and Environmental Protection Engineering, Óbuda University, Doberdó u. 6, H-1034 Budapest, Hungary; (G.O.); (A.K.); (O.N.S.)
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Pillow Support Model with Partitioned Matching Based on Body Pressure Distribution Matrix. Healthcare (Basel) 2021; 9:healthcare9050571. [PMID: 34066098 PMCID: PMC8151739 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare9050571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Objective: Sleep problems have become one of the current serious public health issues. The purpose of this research was to construct an ideal pressure distribution model for head and neck support through research on the partitioned support surface of a pillow in order to guide the development of ergonomic pillows. (2) Methods: Seven typical memory foam pillows were selected as samples, and six subjects were recruited to carry out a body pressure distribution experiment. The average value of the first 10% of the samples in the comfort evaluation was calculated to obtain the relative ideal body pressure distribution matrix. Fuzzy clustering was performed on the ideal matrix to obtain the support surface partition. The ideal body pressure index of each partition was calculated, and a hierarchical analysis of each partition was then performed to determine the pressure sensitivity weight of each partition. Using these approaches, the key ergonomic node coordinates of the partitions of four different groups of people were extracted. The ergonomic node coordinates and the physical characteristics of the material were used to design a pillow prototype. Five subjects were recruited for each of the four groups to repeat the body pressure distribution experiment to evaluate the pillow prototype. (3) Results: An ideal support model with seven partitions, including three partitions in the supine position and four partitions in the lateral position, was constructed. The ideal body pressure distribution matrix and ideal body pressure indicators and pressure sensitivity weights for each partition were provided. The pillow that was designed and manufactured based on this model reproduced the ideal pressure distribution matrix evaluated by various groups of people. (4) Conclusion: The seven-partition ideal support model can effectively describe the head and neck support requirements of supine and lateral positions, which can provide strong support for the development of related products.
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Yang B, Liu S, Wang X, Yin R, Xiong Y, Tao X. Highly Sensitive and Durable Structured Fibre Sensors for Low-Pressure Measurement in Smart Skin. SENSORS 2019; 19:s19081811. [PMID: 31014038 PMCID: PMC6515294 DOI: 10.3390/s19081811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Precise measurements of low pressure are highly necessary for many applications. This study developed novel structured fibre sensors embedded in silicone, forming smart skin with high sensitivity, high durability, and good immunity to crosstalk for precise measurement of pressure below 10 kPa. The transduction principle is that an applied pressure leads to bending and stretching of silicone and optical fibre over a purposely made groove and induces the axial strain in the gratings. The fabricated sensor showed high pressure sensitivity up to 26.8 pm/kPa and experienced over 1,000,000 cycles compression without obvious variation. A theoretical model of the sensor was presented and verified to have excellent agreement with experimental results. The prototype of smart leg mannequin and wrist pulse measurements indicated that such optical sensors can precisely measure low-pressure and can easily be integrated for smart skins for mapping low pressure on three-dimensional surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bao Yang
- Research Centre of Smart Wearable Technology, Nanotechnology Center of Functional and Intelligent Textiles and Apparel, Institute of Textiles and Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Su Liu
- Research Centre of Smart Wearable Technology, Nanotechnology Center of Functional and Intelligent Textiles and Apparel, Institute of Textiles and Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Xi Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Digitized Textile & Apparel Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Information Science and Technology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.
| | - Rong Yin
- Research Centre of Smart Wearable Technology, Nanotechnology Center of Functional and Intelligent Textiles and Apparel, Institute of Textiles and Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Ying Xiong
- Research Centre of Smart Wearable Technology, Nanotechnology Center of Functional and Intelligent Textiles and Apparel, Institute of Textiles and Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Xiaoming Tao
- Research Centre of Smart Wearable Technology, Nanotechnology Center of Functional and Intelligent Textiles and Apparel, Institute of Textiles and Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
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Compression Garments for Medical Therapy and Sports. Polymers (Basel) 2018; 10:polym10060663. [PMID: 30966697 PMCID: PMC6404358 DOI: 10.3390/polym10060663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Revised: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Compression garments are elastic clothing with an engineered compression gradient that can be worn on limbs, upper, lower, or full body to use for therapy and sports. This article presents an overview and review on the compression garments and concentrates on the design of compression garments with an appropriate pressure for specific applications. It covers the types of compression garments, fibers and yarns, knitted fabric construction, garment design, an evaluation system, and pressure measurement and modeling. The material properties, fabric properties, pressure modeling, and the garment design system presents the prediction, design, and fabrication of the compression garments. Lastly, the research status and directions are discussed.
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A sparse autoencoder compressed sensing method for acquiring the pressure array information of clothing. Neurocomputing 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neucom.2017.09.093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Leoz-Abaurrea I, Aguado-Jiménez R. Upper Body Compression Garment: Physiological Effects While Cycling in a Hot Environment. Wilderness Environ Med 2017; 28:94-100. [PMID: 28455199 DOI: 10.1016/j.wem.2017.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Revised: 02/10/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of an upper body compression garment (UBCG) on physiologic and perceptual responses while cycling in a hot environment. METHODS Twenty recreational road cyclists were pair-matched for age, anthropometric data, and fitness level (V̇O2max) and randomly assigned to a control (CON) group (n=10) of cyclists who wore a conventional t-shirt or to a group (n=10) of cyclists who wore UBCG. Test session consisted of cycling at a fixed load (~50% V̇O2max) for 30 minutes at an ambient temperature of ~40ºC (39.9±0.4ºC), followed by 10 minutes of recovery. RESULTS Significantly greater (P = .002) rectal temperature (Trec) was observed at the end of exercise in the UBCG group (38.3±0.2ºC) versus CON group (37.9±0.3ºC). Significantly greater heart rate (HR) was observed in the UBCG group at minute 15 (P = .01) and at the end of exercise (187±9 vs 173±10 beats/min; P = .004) for UBCG and CON, respectively. Furthermore, participants who wore UBCG perceived a significantly greater (P = .03) thermal sensation at the end of exercise. During recovery HR and Trec remained significantly greater (P < .05) in the UBCG group. CONCLUSIONS The use of an UBCG increased cardiovascular and thermoregulatory strain during cycling in a hot environment and did not aid during recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iker Leoz-Abaurrea
- Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarre, Navarre, Spain.
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Laymon M, Petrofsky J, McKivigan J, Lee H, Yim J. Effect of heat, cold, and pressure on the transverse carpal ligament and median nerve: a pilot study. Med Sci Monit 2015; 21:446-51. [PMID: 25669437 PMCID: PMC4335578 DOI: 10.12659/msm.892462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This study quantified the effects of heat, cold, and pressure on the median nerve and transverse carpal ligament in subjects without carpal tunnel syndrome. Material/Methods Subjects were individuals ages 20–50 who had no symptoms of carpal tunnel disease. Imaging ultrasound was used to measure the clearance around the median nerve, transverse ligament elasticity, nerve conduction velocity, thickness of the carpal ligament, and area of the median nerve. Pressure was applied to the carpal ligament to assess the effects of increasing pressure on these structures. On 3 separate days, 10 subjects had ThermaCare heat or cold packs applied, for either 60 or 120 minutes for heat or 20 minutes for cold, to the palmer surface of the hand. Results Tissue changes were recorded as a response to pressure applied at 0, 5, 10, and 20 N. The size of the nerve and ligaments were not significantly altered by pressure with the hand at room temperature and after cold exposure. After heat, the nerve, ligaments, and tendons showed significantly more elasticity. Conclusions Application of cold to the hand may reduce compression of the carpal ligament and nerve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Laymon
- School of Physical Therapy, Touro University Nevada, Henderson, NV, USA
| | - Jerrold Petrofsky
- Department of Physical Therapy, School of Allied Health Professions, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - James McKivigan
- School of Physical Therapy, Touro University Nevada, Henderson, NV, USA
| | - Haneul Lee
- Department of Physical Therapy, School of Allied Health Professions, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - JongEun Yim
- Department of Physical Therapy, Sahmyook University, Seoul, Korea
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Liu R, Kwok YL, Lao TTH. Effects of skin pressure from compression legwear on resting salivary cortisol and urinary catecholamines excretion in women. Dermatol Surg 2011; 38:83-90. [PMID: 22092699 DOI: 10.1111/j.1524-4725.2011.02150.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The benefits of compression legwear (CL) have been demonstrated in the improvement of vascular function and venous return of the lower extremities, but their effect on autonomic nervous system (ANS) activities and human stress response remain controversial. OBJECTIVE To investigate the possible effects of CLs on ANS activities and in inducing stress on the human body. MATERIALS AND METHODS Resting salivary cortisol and urinary catecholamine (adrenaline and noradrenaline) excretions were examined in 12 healthy women. The effects of different skin pressure levels exerted by CL were studied by conducting a 4-hour prolonged standing and sitting wear trial with intermittent sampling of the aforementioned biochemical parameters. RESULTS No statistically significant differences in resting salivary cortisol and urinary catecholamines were found between control and different clothing pressure conditions (light, mild, moderate, and strong), although the secretion of salivary cortisol (SSC) showed a significant decrease during the 180 minutes of the testing period that was maintained up to 10 minutes after the CL was removed for the studied pressure conditions. Urinary excretion of adrenaline and noradrenaline decreased with increasing pressure levels and was lower in response to higher clothing pressure when tested in the afternoon. CONCLUSION Constant pressure exerted by CL did not cause any stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. The prolonged wearing of CL while standing or sitting did not induce any stress on the human body, suggesting that CL can be safely used in the treatment of patients with venous disorders of the lower extremities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Liu
- Institute of Textiles and Clothing, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
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Houghton LA, Dawson B, Maloney SK. Effects of wearing compression garments on thermoregulation during simulated team sport activity in temperate environmental conditions. J Sci Med Sport 2009; 12:303-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2007.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2007] [Revised: 08/30/2007] [Accepted: 09/06/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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