EMG Exercise Measurement with Flexible Textile Electrodes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for measuring exercise and muscle activity are limited by the need for accurate electrode placement, susceptibility to movement and perspiration, inability to provide real-time feedback, and lack of portability, making them unsuitable for everyday use and outdoor sports.
Innovation Solution
A method that uses EMG signals to calculate and analyze muscle activity, combined with inertial sensors to measure movement, allowing for real-time feedback and improved accuracy in measuring exercise rhythm, velocity, and muscle loading, adaptable to various sports and environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If electrodes are placed on muscles to measure EMG signals, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation worsen due to requiring extreme accuracy in placement and risk of electrodes coming off
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the measurement function by using multiple electrodes distributed across the body, each measuring local muscle activity independently. This allows the complex task of precise single-point measurement to be divided into multiple simpler measurement points, reducing the skill required for placement while maintaining overall measurement accuracy through signal aggregation.
Solution Approach 2:
The measuring device is designed to measure EMG signals from multiple muscles simultaneously using the same electrode technology and processing methodology. Once electrodes are placed on relevant muscles, the system can monitor various muscle groups and exercise parameters, making the device adaptable to different exercise types without requiring specialized placement techniques for each application.
2Measurement precision
If electrodes are placed on muscles to measure EMG signals, then measurement precision is improved, but reliability worsens due to electrodes coming off or removing from place during exercise and perspiration
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses flexible textile electrodes that can conform to the body's surface and move with the skin during exercise. These flexible electrodes are less likely to detach compared to rigid electrodes, as they can stretch and flex with body movements while maintaining electrical contact with the skin surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The measuring device combines multiple electrodes into an integrated system that monitors several muscles simultaneously. This redundancy means that if one electrode becomes detached or provides poor signal quality, the system can still obtain meaningful data from other electrodes, maintaining overall measurement reliability throughout the exercise session.
3Ease of operation
If present equipment is used to count steps and estimate distance, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision worsens due to rough estimations and inability to adapt to outer factors
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides real-time feedback on exercise parameters including velocity, distance, and muscle activity levels. By continuously monitoring EMG signals and mechanical movement, the system adjusts its measurements dynamically, providing accurate velocity and distance calculations that adapt to changing exercise conditions, terrain, and individual performance variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces simple mechanical step-counting mechanisms with a integrated measurement system that combines EMG signal processing with movement detection. This substitution allows the system to calculate velocity and distance based on actual muscle activity and movement patterns rather than relying on fixed pace length assumptions, significantly improving measurement precision while maintaining ease of use.
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
Enables immediate and reliable monitoring of exercise efficiency, providing accurate feedback on muscle balance and fatigue, improving performance by adapting to changes in terrain and individual conditions.
Implementation Method 1
the electrical signals caused by the active muscles are measured with a measuring device
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for measuring an exercise, in which method the electrical signals caused by active muscles are measured with a measuring device and response is given from the physical performance with a perceivable signal. In the method in accordance with the invention by measuring and analyzing EMG activities of muscles or EMG activities of muscles and movements of the body quantities describing the physical performance and/or the result of the physical performance are calculated or evaluated.