Feature: Wearables
Wearables – more than just fi tness trackers
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By Sara Urasini, Head of Wearables, Design Partners, part of PA Consulting T e solution consists of a layer with 15
ot that long ago wearables were still a novelty – wristwatch- style devices that would gather the wearer’s fi tness characteristics.
Today, they are a lot more than fi tness and wellness trackers – they gather deeper insights into the wearer’s health condition, now widely used by sports and health professionals. Here are some examples of what wearables can achieve today:
Sonic sock Whether it’s a misplaced landing or unequal weight distribution between the feet, such detail can make or break an athlete’s performance. Seemingly small refi nements can make a
big diff erence, so it’s vital that coaches and sports scientists have the data to make the right recommendations. Design Partners teamed up with the
start-up Danu Sports to create a solution to measure and analyse an athlete’s gait during activity. The wearable is an innovative smart system built into a sports sock, to provide gait analysis in any environment at any time; see Figures 1 and 2.
pressure sensors, covering the entire sole of the foot, collecting data on precisely where and how a person lands. T is helps prevent injury and re-injury by monitoring lower- limb load, measuring on-fi eld balance, analysing gait, quantifying fatigue and tracking the rehab process. T e sensor tracks are integrated into the
sock and run up to a pod located above the malleolus bones. T e pod can be taken out to charge and the sock can be washed. Using algorithms and a clear user
interface, a sports scientist or coach can take the data and use it in a precise and targeted way to help enhance the athlete’s performance in real time, without wading through streams of spreadsheets; see Figure 3. In addition to providing analytics, the sock is made of diff erent knitted structures for stretchability and breathability, developed so as not to impede the user’s lifestyle.
Physiotherapy control A tear or sprain to the knee’s anterior cruciate ligament is one of the most problematic sports injuries, and rehab aſt er surgery involves close monitoring by a physiotherapist. Rehab is based on scaled activity intended
28 September 2022
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to regenerate rather than just allow time- based healing, so the physiotherapist needs to understand exactly where the patient is in the rehab regime, to then increase or modify activity at the right points. In response to this challenge, Design
Partners collaborated with T e Wireless Sensor Network group at the University of Cork’s Tyndall National Institute, to create Skyre, a wearable device in the form of two leg-sleeves worn above and below the aff ected knee; see Figures 4-6. Inertial measurement units determine whether the exercise routines are preformed correctly, with EMG electrodes closely measuring specifi c muscle movements. A diff erent type of electrodes integrated in the upper thigh sleeve can stimulate certain underutilised muscles to create resistance by using Electric Muscle Stimulation technology. T e wearable’s remote monitoring allows the physiotherapist to see the patient’s progression curve, and then advise on the follow-up regime. T e app uses a voice-based interface
to provide advice and encouragement to the patient, just like a physiotherapist would. Active monitoring and timely communication ensure that both wearer and physiotherapist are aligned and working together for a speedy recovery.
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