Passive UHF RFID tag with multiple sensing capabilities.

This work presents the design, fabrication, and characterization of a printed radio frequency identification tag in the ultra-high frequency band with multiple sensing capabilities. This passive tag is directly screen printed on a cardboard box with the aim of monitoring the packaging conditions during the different stages of the supply chain. This tag includes a commercial force sensor and a printed opening detector. Hence, the force applied to the package can be measured as well as the opening of the box can be detected. The architecture presented is a passive single-chip RFID tag. An electronic switch has been implemented to be able to measure both sensor magnitudes in the same access without including a microcontroller or battery. Moreover, the chip used here integrates a temperature sensor and, therefore, this tag provides three different parameters in every reading.

A preliminary study of the relation between back-pain and plantar-pressure evolution during pregnancy.

This work presents the dynamic study of the plantar pressure in a group of 15 pregnant women. An instrumented insoles (ECnsole) developed by the research group were used in order to measure the plantar pressure distribution. A questionnaire that described their perception of the back pain were filled by the participants. This test were repeated in weeks 12, 20 and 32 of pregnancy. From our preliminary results, the centre pressure in the Y-axis in both foot were slightly displaced towards the heel in week test 20 and 32, and it agrees with the onset of back pain in pregnant women.

Embedded sensor insole for wireless measurement of gait parameters.

This work presents the development of a portable, wireless activity monitoring system for the estimation of biomechanical gait parameters. The system uses a pair of instrumented insoles able to measure pressure from different points of the foot including four commercial piezoresistive pressure sensors and a three-axis accelerometer, all together integrated in the insole to determine foot forces during stance and swing phases. The system includes two kinds of analysis data, one on line with a RF communications to a computer, and another off line reading the data from SD memory card. Our system has been validated and tested in different trials, extracting several features during walking for ten participants by means of the combined information from the two kinds of sensors. With the combined data from the complete set of sensors, we can obtain highly valuable information on foot movement during the non-contact period, such as supination or pronation characteristics or anomalous movement during flight time. From our preliminary results, the variation of the lateral acceleration of the foot seems to be correlated with the amount of supination.