Wearable Knee Sensor for Outdoor Bicycle Posture Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bike fitting methods for analyzing bicycle riding posture are costly, complex, and limited to indoor environments, failing to effectively assess posture under real-world conditions and often causing knee/ankle joint harm due to inadequate posture detection.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a sensing device positioned at the knee joint, which generates data on the rider's orientation, and an electronic device that communicates over a network to determine the trajectory of the knee joint's movement, estimating the correctness of the riding posture by analyzing the trajectory's loops and calculating enclosed areas or distances, allowing for outdoor analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional bike fitting method using multiple cameras and markers is used, then measurement precision of riding posture is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential measurement function from the complex multi-camera system by placing a single sensing device directly on the rider's body at the knee joint. This extraction eliminates the need for multiple cameras and markers while retaining the core capability to track knee movement trajectory and assess riding posture accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensing device acts as an intermediary between the rider's body movement and the analysis system. It directly captures orientation data from the knee joint and transmits it to the electronic device for trajectory analysis, serving as a bridge that simplifies the measurement chain while maintaining precision.
2Measurement precision
If conventional bike fitting method with fixed cameras is used, then measurement precision is improved, but adaptability to different environments deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static camera-based measurement system to a dynamic wearable sensing device that moves with the rider. This dynamic approach allows the sensing device to accurately track knee joint orientation regardless of whether the rider is stationary or moving, enabling posture analysis in both indoor and outdoor environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensing device is designed with universal applicability across different riding environments. By using accelerometers and gyroscopes that function independently of external camera systems, the device can operate indoors and outdoors, on stationary bikes or during actual riding, making the system versatile and adaptable to various real-world conditions.
3Device complexity
If simple sensing device is used, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple sensing functions (accelerometer for linear acceleration, gyroscope for angular velocity) into a single integrated sensing device worn at the knee joint. This combination allows the system to compute three-dimensional orientation and trajectory accurately while keeping the device portable and relatively simple compared to multi-camera systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/optical measurement system (cameras and physical markers) with an electronic sensing system based on inertial measurement units. This substitution enables precise tracking of knee joint orientation through electronic sensors that measure acceleration and rotational velocity, then computationally derive position and orientation data.
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
This method reduces equipment costs and complexity, enabling accurate posture assessment outdoors, helping prevent knee/ankle joint harm by providing a user-friendly and portable system for monitoring and correcting riding posture.
Implementation Method 1
a sensing unit accommodated in the case that are electrically connected to each other. The sensing unit is configured to generate a series of pieces of sensed data according to movement of the knee joint during a time period of bicycle riding, wherein each of the pieces of sensed data corresponds to a time point within the time period and includes a set of three values representing an orientation of the case with respect to a fixed coordinate system
Data Source
AI summary
A system for motion analysis includes a sensing device positioned at a knee joint of a bicycle rider, and an electronic device in communication with the sensing device. The electronic device is configured to receive, from the sensing device, a series of pieces of sensed data representing orientations of the sensing device at different times, to determine a motion trajectory of a knee of the rider based on the received pieces of sensed data, and to generate an estimation result regarding correctness of a riding posture of the rider based on the motion trajectory.