Principal Investigator: Prof. Jane Burridge
Project Team: Prof. Neil White, Dr Paul Chappell, Dr Andy Cranny, Stewart Collie (AgResearch) & Dr Cheryl Metcalf
Date: 2007 - 2008

Rehabilitation practice often relies on the patient to complete activities within their home environment. These activities can include prescribed exercises that if completed can improve the quality of their rehabilitation. The use of minimally obtrusive monitoring devices may provide a suitable solution to measuring and reporting progress, and alerting therapists to periods of inactivity or deviations from the recommended prescribed exercises. Fabric-based smart textile technology has the potential to provide this solution.



The objective of this project was to develop a prototype fabric-based sensor that was capable of generating a change in resistance from which joint angle could be derived.

This project developed and compared over 30 woven smart textiles in collaboration with AgResearch (New Zealand). An iterative design methodology was adopted; each sample batch was improved with each new iteration. One sample was integrated into a wearable knee sleeve as a demonstrator for measuring knee joint angle in the home.

Metcalf, C.D., Collie, S.R., Cranny, A.W., Hallett, G., James, C., Adams, J., Chappell, P.H., White, N.M. and Burridge, J.H., 2009. Fabric-based Strain Sensors for Measuring Movement in Wearable Telemonitoring Applications. IET Assisted Living Conference 2009. London: UK. 24-25 March. ISBN: 978-1-84919-121-0.