• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.733-745
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• 2016

This paper provides a review of wearable textile strain sensors that can measure the deformation of the body surface according to the movements of the wearer. In previous studies, the requirements of textile strain sensors, materials and fabrication methods, as well as the principle of the strain sensing according to sensor structures were understood; furthermore, the factors that affect the sensing performance were critically reviewed and application studies were examined. Textile strain sensors should be able to show piezoresistive effects with consistent resistance-extension in response to the extensional deformations that are repeated when they are worn. Textile strain sensors with piezoresistivity are typically made using conductive yarn knit structures or carbon-based fillers or conducting polymer filler composite materials. For the accuracy and reliability of textile strain sensors, fabrication technologies that would minimize deformation hysteresis should be developed and processes to complement and analyze sensing results based on accurate understanding of the sensors' resistance-strain behavior are necessary. Since light-weighted, flexible, and highly elastic textile strain sensors can be worn by users without any inconvenience so that to enable the users to continuously collect data related to body movements, textile strain sensors are expected to become the core of human interface technologies with a wide range of applications in diverse areas.

• 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.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.694-706
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• 2022

This study focusses on the development of a motion-sensing smart leggings prototype with the help of a module that monitors motion using a fiber-type stretch sensor. Additionally, it acquires data on Electrocardiogram (ECG), respiration, and body temperature signals, for the development of smart clothing used in online exercise coaching and customized healthcare systems. The research process was conducted in the following order: 1) Fabrication of a fiber-type elastic strain sensor for motion monitoring, 2) Positioning and attaching the sensor, 3) Pattern development and three-dimensional (3D) design, 4) Prototyping 5) Wearability test, and 6) Expert evaluation. The 3D design method was used to develop an aesthetic design, and for sensing accurate signal acquisition functions, wearability tests, and expert evaluation. As a result, first, the selection or manufacturing of an appropriate sensor for the function is of utmost importance. Second, the selection and attachment method of a location that can maximize the function of the sensor without interfering with any activity should be studied. Third, the signal line selection and connection method should be considered, and fourth, the aesthetic design should be reflected along with functional verification. In addition, the selection of an appropriate material is important, and tests for washability and durability must be made. This study presented a manufacturing method to improve the functionality and design of smart clothing, through the process of developing a prototype of motion-sensing smart leggings.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.83-90
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is for fundamental research of meditation smart wear for physical and mental healing, and researching method for monitoring phase of meditation through textile by measuring the number of abdominal respiration when meditating. For this purpose, the research implemented Single Wall Carbon Nano-Tube (SWCNT) based strain gauges type textile sensor, considered reliability and validity of respiratory sensing, and analyzed efficiency of respiratory sensing based on body parts comparatively. The first preliminary experiment was to evaluate the performance of textile sensor through abdominal model dummy which open and shut of 5 cm repeatedly for 2 minutes at the rate of 0.1Hz in order to simulate abdominal respiration. It concluded signal efficiency between reference sensor(BIOPAC) and textile respiratory sensor appears statistically significant (p<0.001). The second experiment were conducted with 4 subjects doing abdominal respiration under same conditions, and after comparing the signal values between two sensors from 4 attached locations(around center and sides of omphali and phren), center of omphali and sides of phren were selected as suitable location for measuring meditational breathing as they showed large and stable signals. In result, this research aimed for implementing of the textile sensor for sensing meditational breathing of long respiration cycle, review of reliability and validity for sensing number of meditational respiration with the sensor and consideration of sensing efficiency by sensing location on body parts.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.363.2-363.2
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• 2016

Stretchable strain sensors are becoming essential in diverse future applications, such as human motion detection, soft robotics, and various biomedical devices. One of the well-known approaches for fabricating stretchable strain sensors is to embed conductive nanomaterials such as metal nanowires/nanoparticles, graphene, conducting polymer and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) within an elastomeric substrate. Among various conducting nanomaterials, CNTs have been considered as important and promising candidate materials for stretchable strain sensors owing to their high electrical conductivity and excellent mechanical properties. In the past decades, CNT-based strain sensors with high stretchability or sensitivity have been developed. However, CNT-based strain sensors which show both high stretchability and sensitivity have not been reported. Herein, highly stretchable and sensitive strain sensors were fabricated by integrating single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and nylon textiles via vacuum-assisted spray-layer-by-layer process. Our strain sensors had high sensitivity with 100 % tensile strain (gauge factor ~ 100). Cyclic tests confirmed that our strain sensors showed very robust and reliable characteristic. Moreover, our SWNTs-based strain sensors were easily and successfully integrated on human finger and knee to detect bending and walking motion. Our approach presented here might be route to preparing highly stretchable and sensitive strain sensors with providing new opportunity to realize practical wearable devices.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.45-52
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• 2022

Recently, interest in and demand for sensors that recognize physical activity and their products are increasing. In particular, the development of wearable materials that are flexible, stretchable, and able to detect the user's biological signals is drawing attention. In this study, an experiment was conducted to improve the dip-coating efficiency of a single-walled carbon nanotube dispersion solution after fine holes were made in a hydrophobic material with a micro needle. In this study, dip-coating was performed with a material that was not penetrated, and comparative analysis was performed. The electrical conductivity of the sensor was measured when the sensor was stretched using a strain universal testing machine (Dacell Co. Ltd., Seoul, Korea) and a multimeter (Keysight Technologies, Santa Rosa, CA, USA) was used to measure resistance. It was found that the electrical conductivity of a sensor that was subjected to needling was at least 16 times better than that of a sensor that was not. In addition, the gauge factor was excellent, relative to the initial resistance of the sensor, so good performance as a sensor could be confirmed. Here, the dip-coating efficiency of hydrophobic materials, which have superior physical properties to hydrophilic materials but are not suitable due to their high surface tension, can be adopted to more effectively detect body movements and manufacture sensors with excellent durability and usability.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to develop a strain sensor based on a nanoweb by applying electrical conductivity to a polyurethane nanoweb through the use of Graphene. For this purpose, 1% Graphene ink was pour-coated on a polyurethane nanoweb and post-treated with PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane) to complete a wearable strain sensor. The surface characteristics of the specimens were evaluated using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) to check whether the conductive material was well coated on the surface of the specimen. Electrical properties of the specimens were measured by using a multimeter to measure the linear resistance of the specimen and comparing how the line resistance changes when 5% and 10% of the specimens are tensioned, respectively. In order to evaluate the performance of the specimen, the gauge factor was obtained. The evaluation of the clothing was performed by attaching the completed strain sensor to the dummy and measuring the respiration signal according to the tension using MP150 (Biopac system Inc., USA) and Acqknowledge (ver. 4.2, Biopac system Inc., U.S.A.). As a result of the evaluation of the surface characteristics, it was confirmed that all the conductive nanoweb specimen were uniformly coated with the Graphen ink. As a result of measuring the resistance value according to the tensile strength, the specimen G, which was treated with just graphene had the lowest resistance value, the specimen G-H had the highest resistance value, and the change of the line resistance value of the specimen G and the specimen G-H is increased to 5% It is found that it increases steadily. Unlike the resistance value results, specimen G showed a higher gauge rate than specimen G-H. As a result of evaluation of the actual clothes, the strain sensor made using the specimen G-H measured the stable peak value and obtained a signal of good quality. Therefore, we confirmed that the polyurethane nanoweb treated with Graphene ink plays a role as a breathing sensor.