Wearable Impact Sensor Array for Martial Arts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wearable impact sensors for athletes, particularly in martial arts, are costly, require multiple devices for different martial arts, suffer from inaccurate impact measurements due to single sensors, and have issues with sensor positioning and durability, leading to high replacement costs and redundancy.
Innovation Solution
A wearable inner glove with an array of impact sensors, biometric sensors, and inertial sensors, designed to be reusable across different martial arts, providing precise sensor positioning and accurate impact measurement, with real-time signal transmission to a remote station, and a method to estimate impact power by integrating acceleration signals and filtering for accurate velocity calculation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a single impact sensor is used in the boxing glove, then the device structure is simple, but the impact measurement accuracy is insufficient and cannot detect impact geometry details
Solution Approach 1:
The single impact sensor is segmented into multiple sensors arranged in an array configuration. Each sensor detects impact at its specific location, and the combined data from multiple sensors provides detailed impact geometry information including impact point, direction, and force distribution across the glove surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The impact detection is enhanced by adding spatial dimensionality through the sensor array. Instead of a single point measurement, the distributed sensors create a two-dimensional detection matrix that maps impact forces across the glove surface, enabling reconstruction of impact geometry in multiple dimensions.
2Reliability
If the boxing glove incorporates impact sensors, then impact detection is enabled, but the glove is subjected to wear and tearing causing sensor damage and high replacement costs
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor array is nested within the glove structure, with sensors positioned between the outer glove material and the inner lining. This nested configuration protects the sensors from direct exposure to external wear, tearing, and environmental factors while maintaining their detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The glove structure incorporates protective layers and cushioning materials around the sensor array before the sensors are exposed to external forces. This prior protection prevents damage from impacts, wear, and tearing that would otherwise directly affect the sensors.
3Adaptability or versatility
If different boxing gloves are used for different martial arts, then each martial art has optimized protective equipment, but the athlete must purchase multiple sensor-equipped gloves increasing costs
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor array is designed as a universal component that can be integrated into various types of martial arts gloves. The sensors and their mounting structure are configured to accommodate different glove styles, sizes, and configurations, allowing a single sensor array design to serve multiple martial arts disciplines.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor array is extracted as a separate, modular component that can be removed from one glove and installed in another. This extraction approach allows the expensive sensor portion to be reused across multiple gloves while only the glove material needs to be replaced for different martial arts disciplines.
4Adaptability or versatility
If sensors are incorporated in the boxing glove, then impact detection is provided, but the glove components show redundancy when used across different martial arts
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor array and its supporting electronics are designed as universal components that maintain full functionality across different martial arts applications. The same sensor array can be used in boxing gloves, MMA gloves, or other protective equipment without modification, eliminating the need for discipline-specific sensor variants.
Solution Approach 2:
When a glove is replaced due to wear or damage, the sensor array is recovered and reused in a new glove. This recovery process eliminates redundancy by ensuring that the expensive sensor components are not discarded with the glove but are instead retained and transferred to new glove configurations for different martial arts.
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 solution reduces costs, enhances accuracy and reliability of impact measurements, allows for universal use across martial arts, and provides detailed impact analysis, while ensuring durability and efficient signal transmission for real-time data usage.
Implementation Method 1
The transducer is composed of a piezoelectric film coupled to a deformable material, or it is inserted between two layers of deformable material, and the output signal is generated on the basis of the impacts on the deformable material.
Implementation Method 2
According to one embodiment one or more inertial sensors are provided. The inertial sensors can comprise accelerometers and gyroscopes in combination or as an alternative with each other. This allows speeds and linear and angular accelerations to be measured without the need of an external reference.
Data Source
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AI summary
Wearable device comprising one or more impact sensors (2) and at least one unit (51) transmitting the detected signals to a remote station, which device is composed of an inner glove (1) wearable under a martial art glove.