TEXPLEX
Tailored Biomechanical Sensing
Design and manufacturing tool for biomechanical sensing form-fitting wearables, enabling optimal ergonomics and detailed sensor data collection.WHAT IT DOES
Texplex addresses challenges in manufacturing biomechanically sensing wearables by creating a computer-aided design platform to generate and edit wearables and biomechanical sensor structures based on body part scans, which are then 3D printed.
Texplex addresses challenges in manufacturing biomechanically sensing wearables by creating a computer-aided design platform to generate and edit wearables and biomechanical sensor structures based on body part scans, which are then 3D printed.
MOTIVATIONS
Biomechanics refers to fine grain movement or physical forces of humans. Currently, the NHS has 6+ weeks waiting times for diagnostic tests relating to biomechanical symptoms. Biomechanical sensing wearables would alleviate pressure off the NHS and give a more comprehensive image of patient condition with continuous data tracking.
Despite this, there are no commercially available wearables with such sensing capabilities due to how prone to error biomechanical sensing is when the sensors aren’t snugly fit to the body. So far, no one has successfully developed a simple manufacturing process to enable the widespread adoption of such wearables.
Biomechanics refers to fine grain movement or physical forces of humans. Currently, the NHS has 6+ weeks waiting times for diagnostic tests relating to biomechanical symptoms. Biomechanical sensing wearables would alleviate pressure off the NHS and give a more comprehensive image of patient condition with continuous data tracking.
Despite this, there are no commercially available wearables with such sensing capabilities due to how prone to error biomechanical sensing is when the sensors aren’t snugly fit to the body. So far, no one has successfully developed a simple manufacturing process to enable the widespread adoption of such wearables.
HOW IT WORKS
Texplex provides software that can be licensed by various institutions for various needs, integrating body part scanning, wearable and sensor generation, and g-code generation. It creates a way of adding custom located biomechanical sensors onto complex 3D surfaces by using various scripts, enabling various types of mechanical movements to be measured depending on the geometries of the sensor. The way this works is that by applying strain or pressure to the sensor, it deforms the conductive material, changing its resistance and creating actionable data.
Texplex uses 3D printing with custom print settings and special materials to create wearable structures that conform to the user’s body, while remaining robust, flexible and comfortable to wear. An example of this is a sleep mask that has the biomechanical sensing elements snugly placed on the eyes, enabling eye movement to be tracked for REM cycle analysis, helping with better sleep.
Texplex provides software that can be licensed by various institutions for various needs, integrating body part scanning, wearable and sensor generation, and g-code generation. It creates a way of adding custom located biomechanical sensors onto complex 3D surfaces by using various scripts, enabling various types of mechanical movements to be measured depending on the geometries of the sensor. The way this works is that by applying strain or pressure to the sensor, it deforms the conductive material, changing its resistance and creating actionable data.
Texplex uses 3D printing with custom print settings and special materials to create wearable structures that conform to the user’s body, while remaining robust, flexible and comfortable to wear. An example of this is a sleep mask that has the biomechanical sensing elements snugly placed on the eyes, enabling eye movement to be tracked for REM cycle analysis, helping with better sleep.
DESIGN PROCESS
Texplex’s process has three main areas of development: the CAD web platform, the sensor networks, and the wearable forms.
The aim of the CAD platform is to have an easy-to-use interface for generating form-fitting wearables with custom-fit sensors. It integrates various open-source projects, including photogrammetry algorithms for scanning body parts using a webcam, libraries for creating and editing wearable forms and sensor networks, and tools for visualising the product and converting it to g-code for 3D printing.
The aim of the sensor networks is to integrate custom located biomechanical sensors onto complex 3D forms. This involves identifying movement hotspots with machine learning models, using growth pattern algorithms to vary sensor density for different sensitivities, and generating sensors into ohm shaped channels with parametric design techniques. The sensors are then 3D printed with special TPU, creating airtight structures to embed conductive material.
The aim for the wearable forms is to be robust, flexible and comfortable using an accessible digital manufacturing process. FDM printing with TPU allowed for flexible structures, with adjustable hardness based on temperature, and custom slicer settings enabled fast, continuous prints of thin, comfortable wearables.
Texplex’s process has three main areas of development: the CAD web platform, the sensor networks, and the wearable forms.
The aim of the CAD platform is to have an easy-to-use interface for generating form-fitting wearables with custom-fit sensors. It integrates various open-source projects, including photogrammetry algorithms for scanning body parts using a webcam, libraries for creating and editing wearable forms and sensor networks, and tools for visualising the product and converting it to g-code for 3D printing.
The aim of the sensor networks is to integrate custom located biomechanical sensors onto complex 3D forms. This involves identifying movement hotspots with machine learning models, using growth pattern algorithms to vary sensor density for different sensitivities, and generating sensors into ohm shaped channels with parametric design techniques. The sensors are then 3D printed with special TPU, creating airtight structures to embed conductive material.
The aim for the wearable forms is to be robust, flexible and comfortable using an accessible digital manufacturing process. FDM printing with TPU allowed for flexible structures, with adjustable hardness based on temperature, and custom slicer settings enabled fast, continuous prints of thin, comfortable wearables.
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT
Research in recent years have pushed for form-fitting wearables but so far, no one has successfully developed a simple and intuitive manufacturing process to enable the widespread adoption of such wearables. Typically the state of the art involves employing technologies such as 3D knitting, with other post-processing techniques, but this results in a complex manufacturing process that requires specialised technicians, and involves high costs making it impractical for widespread adoption. Some other examples of state of the art projects will rely on adding the sensors manually, again making it unfeasible for scale and resulting in finicky products. Texplex addresses these challenges through its web app which automates and streamlines the process of generating bespoke wearables, and manufactures them using 3D printing in a single step.
Research in recent years have pushed for form-fitting wearables but so far, no one has successfully developed a simple and intuitive manufacturing process to enable the widespread adoption of such wearables. Typically the state of the art involves employing technologies such as 3D knitting, with other post-processing techniques, but this results in a complex manufacturing process that requires specialised technicians, and involves high costs making it impractical for widespread adoption. Some other examples of state of the art projects will rely on adding the sensors manually, again making it unfeasible for scale and resulting in finicky products. Texplex addresses these challenges through its web app which automates and streamlines the process of generating bespoke wearables, and manufactures them using 3D printing in a single step.
FUTURE PLANS
Ultimately, the impact of this project lies in how accessible it makes biomechanical tracking, an incredibly important biomarker that has been neglected by the consumer wearables space. Over time, this accessibility would also provide very valuable data to help better understand how biomechanics affects the human condition.
The potential of Texplex extends to novel computer-human interfaces, medical and wellbeing wearables, but also other industries such as smart textiles, or most notably soft robotics enabling custom complex actuators, and enabling the soft robot to become aware of their own environment.
Ultimately, the impact of this project lies in how accessible it makes biomechanical tracking, an incredibly important biomarker that has been neglected by the consumer wearables space. Over time, this accessibility would also provide very valuable data to help better understand how biomechanics affects the human condition.
The potential of Texplex extends to novel computer-human interfaces, medical and wellbeing wearables, but also other industries such as smart textiles, or most notably soft robotics enabling custom complex actuators, and enabling the soft robot to become aware of their own environment.