Sensor Shirt as Universal Platform for Real-Time Monitoring of Posture and Movements for Occupational Health and Ergonomics

With the continuing development in integrating electronics into textiles in the field of smart textiles and wearables, new innovations for monitoring the human environment and new possibilities for human-machine interaction are constantly emerging. Depending on the type of sensor technology used, monitoring human motion and its environment allows applications in various fields, like occupational safety, protection and rehabilitation in the form of protective work clothing. In this paper the development of a sensor shirt is described, which records the movement and position of the upper body by several inertial sensors and transmits the sensor values via Wi-Fi. Based on the developed prototype, this paper shows the typical problems in the development of intelligent clothing and presents possible concepts which can be implemented already in the design phase. First measurements of the prototype show the potential of the shirt as well as possible future applications in the field of occupational safety and human-machine interaction.