Evaluating the Impact of Garment Structure on Wearable Sensor Performance

Garment design and fit can play a pivotal role in the performance of garment-integrated sensors. This paper-describes a methodology for the evaluation of the impact of garment style and fit on the performance of a garment-integrated sensor, and initial results from our evaluation of a garment-integrated bend sensor. The performance of an optical fiber bend sensor in five garment designs with different fit characteristics was evaluated by examining the impact of three specific movements on the sensor response. The implications of these findings for future designs are discussed.