Adjustable Garment with Sensor-Driven Status Indication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods fail to effectively detect and indicate a wearer's physical status, such as fatigue or imminent injury, without worsening the condition or revealing sensitive information to others, and do not provide adequate solutions for recognizing deviations from a baseline performance level.
Innovation Solution
A system that collects sensor measurements from a garment wearer, uses a model to determine a performance deviation index, and alters a characteristic of the garment, such as color or pattern, if the index exceeds a threshold, to privately indicate the wearer's status and potentially adjust strategies to ameliorate the situation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sensor measurements are collected and processed to determine wearer physical status, then detection accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the monitoring function by using multiple independent sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, heart rate sensor, temperature sensor) distributed throughout the garment, each measuring specific physical parameters. This segmentation allows complex physiological monitoring to be achieved through simple, modular sensor components rather than a single complex device
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing layer that collects data from multiple sensors, processes the information through algorithms, and generates a comprehensive fatigue index. This intermediary layer translates raw sensor measurements into meaningful health status indicators, resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and device complexity
2Loss of information
If garment characteristics are altered to indicate wearer status, then information communication is improved, but garment functionality is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements color-changing fabric regions that visually indicate wearer fatigue levels. The fabric contains thermochromic or electrophoretic materials that change color based on temperature or electrical signals from sensors, providing intuitive health status communication without adding electronic displays or complex components to the garment
Solution Approach 2:
The garment integrates multiple functions into a single system: it provides thermal regulation, mechanical support, and health monitoring capabilities simultaneously. The same fabric and sensor infrastructure used for basic garment functions also enables fatigue detection and visual status indication, maintaining versatility while adding communication capability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides real-time, private indication of a wearer's physical status, allowing for timely intervention to prevent injuries and improve performance without compromising the wearer's condition or revealing sensitive information.
Implementation Method 1
each display pixel is made from one or more capsules containing differently-colored electrophoretic particles that respond to electronic signals differently, thus causing the display pixel's color to change
Implementation Method 2
conductive fabric or by attaching conventional systems to conventional fabric
Data Source
AI summary
From a first sensor in a set of sensors, a set of sensor measurements corresponding to a wearer of a garment is collected. Using a model and the set of sensor measurements, a performance deviation index corresponding to the wearer is determined, the performance deviation index corresponding to a deviation from a baseline performance level of the wearer. Responsive to the performance deviation index being above a threshold, a characteristic of the garment is altered.