Pressure Mapping Mat for Tele-Home Care Applications

In this paper we present the development of a mat-like pressure mapping system based on a single layer textile sensor and intended to be used in home environments for monitoring the physical condition of persons with limited mobility. The sensor is fabricated by embroidering silver-coated yarns on a...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jose Francisco Saenz-Cogollo, Massimiliano Pau, Beatrice Fraboni, Annalisa Bonfiglio
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2016-03-01
Series:Sensors
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/16/3/365
Description
Summary:In this paper we present the development of a mat-like pressure mapping system based on a single layer textile sensor and intended to be used in home environments for monitoring the physical condition of persons with limited mobility. The sensor is fabricated by embroidering silver-coated yarns on a light cotton fabric and creating pressure-sensitive resistive elements by stamping the conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) at the crossing points of conductive stitches. A battery-operated mat prototype was developed and includes the scanning circuitry and a wireless communication module. A functional description of the system is presented together with a preliminary experimental evaluation of the mat prototype in the extraction of plantar pressure parameters.
ISSN:1424-8220