• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.279-282
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• 2020

In this study, body pressure was quantitatively detected using built-in optical sensors, inside an air cushion seat. The proposed system visualizes the effect of the body pressure distribution on the air cushion seat. The built-in sensor is based on the time-of-flight (ToF) optical method, instead of the conventional electrical sensor. A ToF optical sensors is attached to the bottom surface of the air-filled cells in the air cushion. Therefore, ToF sensors are durable, as they do not come in physical contact with the body even after repeated use. A ToF sensor indirectly expresses the body pressure by measuring the change in the height of the air-filled cell, after being subjected to the weight of the body. An array of such sensors can measure the body pressure distribution when the user sits on the air cushion seat. We implemented a prototype of the air cushion seat equipped with 7 ToF optical sensors and investigated its characteristics. In this experiment, the ToF optical pressure sensor successfully identified the pressure distribution corresponding to a sitting position. The data were accessed through a mobile device.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.384-389
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• 2015

In this paper, we fabricated ceramic body and sapphire wafer in order to develop a hydraulic pressure sensor with high sensitivity and high temperature stability. The sapphire wafer was adopted with a membrane of capacitance ceramic pressure sensor. The capacitance value of the sensor for the finite element analysis(FEM) showed a linear pressure characteristics. Membrane was processed with a diameter of 32.4 mm and a thickness of 1 mm by using alumina powders. Ceramic body was processed with a diameter 32.4 mm and a thickness 5 mm. The capacitance pressure sensor was made with high heat treatment of the ceramic body and the sapphire wafer. Initially capacitance of the pressure sensor was 50 pF and a capacitance of 110 pF was measured from 5 bar pressure. Output voltage of 5 V was appeared at 5 bar pressure.

• International journal of advanced smart convergence
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.151-158
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• 2021

The main cause of ulcer is pressure, which starts to develop when the critical body pressure (32mmHg) is exceeded, and when the critical time elapses, ulcer occurs. In this study, the keyboard mechanism of the medical bed with 4 bar links was adopted, and each key can be controlled vertically. A key has one servo drive and one sensor controller which hasseveral body pressure sensors. The sensor controllers and the servo drives are connected to the main controller by two CAN (Car Are Network) in series, respectively. By reading the maximum body pressure value of each keyboard sensor, and by calculating the error value based on the critical body pressure, the fuzzy controller moves each key so that the total error becomes zero. If the fuzzy controller fails, then it prevents ulcer by lifting and lowering the keys of the bed alternatively within a short time. Thus, the controller operates in two-stage. The validity and effectiveness of the proposed approach have been verified through experiments.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.397-402
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• 2018

Proper seat design is critical to the safety, comfort, and ergonomics of automotive driver's seats. To ensure effective seat design, quantitative methods should be used to evaluate the characteristics of automotive seats. This paper presents a system that is capable of simultaneously monitoring body pressure distribution and surface deformation in a textile material. In this study, a textile-based capacitive sensor was used to detect the body pressure distribution in an automotive seat. In addition, a strain gauge sensor was used to detect the degree of curvature deformation due to high-pressure points. The textile-based capacitive sensor was fabricated from the conductive fabric and a polyurethane insulator with a high signal-to-noise ratio. The strain gauge sensor was attached on the guiding film to maximize the effect of its deformation due to bending. Ten pressure sensors were placed symmetrically in the hip area and six strain gauge sensors were distributed on both sides of the seat cushion. A readout circuit monitored the absolute and relative values from the sensors in realtime, and the results were displayed as a color map. Moreover, we verified the proposed system for quantifying the body pressure and fabric deformation by studying 18 participants who performed three predefined postures. The proposed system showed desirable results and is expected to improve seat safety and comfort when applied to the design of various seat types. Moreover, the proposed system will provide analytical criteria in the design and durability testing of automotive seats.

• The Journal of the Institute of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.89-95
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• 2021

Pressure sores are an unresolved human challenge. In this study, a keyboard-type medical bed was developed and a body pressure sensor was installed to provide a method to control the keyboard so that the pressure sores do not reach the critical pressure. For this, a keyboard-type mattress using a 4bar link is developed, and a method of controlling the height adjustment of the keyboard within the critical pressure through a body pressure sensor is used. There is a feeling of discomfort in the body when the keyboard is raised and lowered from pressure sores, which is an important factor: pressure x time, and only time control is performed, but if the proposed method is used, pressure is controlled within the critical pressure, thereby preventing bedsores in a comfortable state. The effectiveness and validity of the developed medical bed system were verified through theories and experiments.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.723-740
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• 2022

This study aimed to develop an Arduino-based garment pressure device (APD) on the basis of using Single-Tact sensor by suggesting the reliable clothing pressure range and coefficient of selected sensors through the APD calibration process. Once the APD was validated, the pressure of the experimental men's lower body compression wears was measured using the APD and was compared to the pressure measured using the existing air-pack type pressure meter. The subjects were one mannequin and eight men in their 20's, and the trial compression wears were calf sleeves and pants. Clothing pressures were measured in hip, mid-thigh, calf, and ankle. In terms of the 99% confidence level, the experimental clothing pressure measured at the designated measuring points using the APD was considered identical to the one measured using an existing clothing pressure meter. Therefore, on the basis of the experiment results, this study demonstrated that the APD is as reliable as the existing clothing pressure meter within the pressure ranges of 0.54-16.79 kPa and 0.18-25.47 kPa as provided by the SingleTact sensor supplier's data on the basis of using an external ADC (Analog to Digital Converter) module.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.187-192
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• 2017

This paper presents an ongoing study to develop a novel pressure sensor by means of a Nano Carbon Piezoresistive Composite (NCPC). The sensor was fabricated using the 3D printing process. We designed a miniaturized cantilever-type sensor electrode to improve the pressure sensing performance and utilized a 3D printer to build a small-sized body. The sensor electrode was made of 2 wt％ MWCNT/epoxy piezoresistive nano-composite, and the sensor body was encapsulated with a pipe plug cap for easy installation to any pressure system. The piezoresistivity responses of the sensor were converted into stable voltage outputs by using a signal processing system, which is similar to a conventional foil strain gauge. We evaluated the pressure-sensing performances using a pressure calibrator in the lab environment. The 3D-printed cantilever electrode pressure sensor showed linear voltage outputs of up to 16,500 KPa, which is a 200％ improvement in the pressure sensing range when compared with the bulk-type electrode used in our previous work.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.29 no.8 s.145
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• pp.1168-1175
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• 2005

Clothing pressure has close relation with clothing comfort and depends on the pattern and properties of textile fabrics. Choosing a suitable clothing pressure is an essential factor for designing functional clothing such as the foundation for reshaping of a body contour or medical items for bum patient, and etc. However, it is hard to measure pressure values at the curved surface of a human body correctly. Recently, an air pack type pressure sensor, which has relatively excellent performance has been used to measure clothing pressure, however, it is still inconvenient to apply because it is a contact- type sensor. Therefore, in this paper, we suggest an indirect method that can measure clothing pressure without touching the subject by improving the equation of Kirk and Ibrahim (1966). However, confusions have been occurred when someone use the equation since the definition of parameters are somewhat vague. Furthermore, the estimated clothing pressure obtained by the previous method are quite different from the real values because this method does not consider the 3D effect of a human body and property changes of a transformed fabric. In this paper, the direction of principal stress and the radius of curvature in the principal direction were searched in the 3D image of the deformed girdle to get more accurate clothing pressure. The estimated clothing pressure was verified by comparing the result of the air pack type pressure sensor. It was found that the accuracy of the pressure estimation was improved by considering the 3D curvature of human body and the directional characteristics of textile fabrics.

• IEMEK Journal of Embedded Systems and Applications
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.209-214
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• 2011

This study suggests a Healthcare System for elderly and disabled who have mobility impairment and use a wheelchair for long time. Seating long time in a wheelchair without reducing pressure causes high risk of developing pressure sores. Pressure sores come with great deal of pain and often lead to develop complication. Not only it takes time and effort to treat pressure sores but also increases medical expenses. Therefore, we will develop a device to help to prevent pressure sores by measuring pressure distribution while seating in a wheelchair and wirelessly send information to user device to check pressure distribution in real time. The equipment to measure body pressure is composed of FSR sitting mat which is a sensor measuring part and an user terminal which is a monitoring part. The designed mat is matrix formed FSR sensor to measure pressure. The sensor send measured data to the controller which is connected to the end of the mat, and then the collected data are sent to an user terminal through a bluetooth. Developing a pressure monitoring system will help to prevent those who have mobility impairment to manage pressure sores and furthermore relieve their burden of medical expenses.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.859-860
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• 2006

We developed a cuffless and noninvasive measurement technique of blood pressure using tonometric pressure sensor. With observation that the maximum value of pulse pressure is not obtained at mean arterial pressure(MAP), we have figured out MAP based on the physiological characteristic including the elasticity of wrist tisse. Detecting only one part of the body and using only one device are quite advantageous over other BP measurement techniques. Our technique makes new way for the cuffless BP measurement.