Strain and angular sensing fabrics for human motion analysis in daily life

Human motion analysis concerns real-time tracking and recording of subject’s kinematics. The possibility to perform ambulatory and daily-life human motion monitoring would represent a breakthrough for many applica- tions and disciplines. In this context, smart textiles can provide a valid alter- native with respect to conventional solid-state sensors thanks to their low cost, lightweight, flexibility and possibility to be adapted to different body struc- tures. The present chapter analyses the working principle, the manufacture, the characterisation of textile-based strain and angular sensors. The strain sensors are piezoresitive textiles that can be used to reconstruct the human movement by measuring the associated strain fields. The angular sensors can be manufactured by coupling two piezoresistive fabrics through an insulating layer and are able to directly measure angular displacement. These textile go- niometers are not sensitive to the precise positioning and to the bending profile and provide a reliable measurement system which represents an important step forward in wearable human motion detection.