Physical, tactical, and field training are critical for improving warfighter physical performance and capabilities. Exercises and training events are typically supervised; however, group/team training lacks personalized supervision, which is even more difficult during field events and in forward deployed situations. While technologies such as optical motion capture (mocap) can capture detailed biomechanics, they are most conveniently used in indoor laboratory settings or in a pre-staged outdoor area. Commercial wearable sensors are readily available, but the data typically correspond to a discrete bodily location and only provide limited information about whether someone is moving, as opposed to how movements are being performed. To fill this gap, a self-adhesive, elastic fabric, nanocomposite skin-strain sensor was developed, tested in controlled environments, and validated through human subject studies. It was found that “Motion Tape” sensors were not only able to measure skin-strains during functional movements, but its measurements were also correlated with how muscles engage. In this study, Motion Tapes were worn at major joints and muscle groups, and subjects performed exercises that simulated military training activities. Mocap measurements were also obtained to acquire baseline biomechanical movement data. Individuals (civilians) were first asked to perform a functional task, before being asked to repeat the task after specific instructions that targeted improved performance. Then, a neural network was implemented and trained to classify movement sequences that resulted in positive versus negative task outcomes. The remaining datasets that were not used for training were used for validation. Furthermore, the Motion Tape datasets that led to positive outcomes were further analyzed to reveal the primary movement and muscle engagement schemes that resulted in higher performance. The vision is that such “Warfighter Digital Twins” can be used for assessing the physical performance, health, and capabilities development of military service members.
Keywords
HEALTH CARE,HUMAN PERFORMANCE,MACHINE LEARNING,PHYSIOLOGICAL ,TACTICAL,TRAINING,WEARABLE DEVICES
Additional Keywords
Digital Twin, musculoskeletal, nanocomposite