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Applied Sciences
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Wearable Devices: Design and Performance Evaluation
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Wearable Devices: Design and Performance Evaluation

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2026 | Viewed by 7023

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ricardo Augusto Rabelo Oliveira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Computação, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Rua Diogo Vasconcelos-128-Bauxita, Ouro Preto 35400-000, MG, Brazil
Interests: wearables; deep learning; edge computing and Industry 4.0
Dr. Mateus Coelho Silva

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center of Mathematics, Computing and Cognition, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo Andre 09280-560, Brazil
Interests: Edge AI; cyber–physical systems; wearable devices; operating systems; natural science; engineering and robotics
Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Andreoni

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Technology and Design for Healthcare Laboratory, Dipartimento di Design, Politecnico di Milano, Via Durando 10, 20158 Milano, Italy
Interests: wearable sensors; ergonomics; design for health; user-centered design; technologies for health; bioengineering; rehabilitation; assistive technologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the contemporary landscape where wearable technology pervades our daily lives, efficient wearable devices are expected. The growing ubiquity of wearable technology presents exciting opportunities for healthcare and human performance optimization. Wearable devices can be meticulously designed to assist human motion, seamlessly integrating into users' routines for various applications. Wearables need adjustable motion range, force support, and feedback sensitivity. Seamless connectivity with smartphones, smartwatches, and other devices enables real-time feedback, progress tracking, and intuitive control over various functions. This comprehensive data collection allows for personalized assistance and performance optimization. Creating wearable devices for those objectives can lead to challenges in design testing and performance evaluation for efficient use. 

This Special Issue seeks to explore the design, development, and evaluation of wearable technologies that leverage kinematic analysis, force transfer optimization, and innovative mechanisms to improve user experience and outcomes.

Topics of Interest:

  • Parallel mechanism designs for wearable devices.
  • Design of ASIC solutions for wearable devices.
  • Performance evaluation for newly proposed wearable devices.
  • Energy and battery issues in wearable devices.
  • Kinematic analysis and motion tracking using wearables.
  • Sensor integration for rich user data collection (IMUs, force sensors, joint angle sensors, skin sensors, EMG, and HRMs).
  • Wearable devices for targeted motion assistance in rehabilitation, physical therapy, and sports performance.
  • Customization and adaptability features in wearable technology.
  • Performance evaluation metrics for wearable devices (reachable workspace, motion isotropy, and force transfer capabilities).
  • Integration with smartphones and smart devices for real-time feedback and control.
  • Wearable technology for personalized assistance and performance optimization.
  • Sports performance enhancement.
  • User experience and comfort in wearable technology.

We encourage submissions on original research and development related to wearable technologies for the following applications:

  • Rehabilitation robotics and assistive devices.
  • Physical therapy and training interventions.
  • Sports performance enhancement.
  • User experience and comfort in wearable technology.

Dr. Ricardo Augusto Rabelo Oliveira
Dr. Mateus Coelho Silva
Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Andreoni
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • rehabilitation robotics and assistive devices
  • physical therapy and training interventions
  • sports performance enhancement
  • user experience and comfort in wearable technology

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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30 pages, 5350 KB  
Article
Application of TRIZ Methodological Tools for Wearable Device Design Using Low-Cost Off-the-Shelf Sensors
by Efrain Atenogenes Mejía-González, Miguel Angel Castro-Perez, Salvador Villarreal-Reyes, Jesús Everardo Olguín-Tiznado, Alejandro Galaviz-Mosqueda, Claudia Camargo-Wilson, Julio César Cano-Gutiérrez, Jorge Luis García-Alcaraz and Cecilia Rodríguez-Serrato
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(11), 5270; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16115270 - 25 May 2026
Viewed by 172
Abstract
Currently, there is a widespread use of inertial motion units (IMUs) based on micromechanical systems (MEMS) with applications ranging from consumer electronics to medical devices. One of the main uses of this technology is in human body motion capture systems, which require attaching [...] Read more.
Currently, there is a widespread use of inertial motion units (IMUs) based on micromechanical systems (MEMS) with applications ranging from consumer electronics to medical devices. One of the main uses of this technology is in human body motion capture systems, which require attaching various IMUs to the body. It is customary to start the design of IMU-based motion capture solutions by using generic off-the-shelf (OTS) solutions or custom integrations. However, it is common that generic OTS solutions or custom IMUs integrations are not necessarily intended or designed to be directly attached to the human body. To address this issue, a widely adopted solution is to perform quick workarounds to enable the IMUs to be “worn” by prospective users. However, this can have the drawbacks of increased probability of detachment, improper fit, user discomfort, adding noise to the IMU measurements, etc. Therefore, the development of OTS IMU-based motion capture solutions would greatly benefit from having a methodological approach for the design of device housings and/or adaptations for OTS solutions or custom IMU integrations, such that they can be effectively used as wearable devices. In this work, we introduce a design methodology for wearable devices based on the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ). By designing a “wearable device housing” for an OTS IMU solution, we show that the proposed TRIZ-based methodology provides a straightforward and structured approach for the design of wearable devices. Furthermore, we illustrate how various challenges encountered in the early stages of prototype development can be effectively addressed using this methodology. The results obtained with the study case confirm that the proposed TRIZ-based methodology effectively overcomes the challenges associated with the design of wearable devices based on generic OTS solutions or custom IMU integrations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wearable Devices: Design and Performance Evaluation)
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25 pages, 995 KB  
Article
Design Requirements of a Novel Wearable System for Safety and Performance Monitoring in Women’s Soccer
by Denise Bentivoglio, Giulia Maria Castiglioni, Cecilia Mazzola, Alice Viganò and Giuseppe Andreoni
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(3), 1259; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16031259 - 26 Jan 2026
Viewed by 967
Abstract
Female soccer is rapidly becoming a widely practiced sport at different levels: this opens up a new demand for systems meant to protect athletes from head impacts or to monitor their effects. The market is offering some solutions in similar sports, but the [...] Read more.
Female soccer is rapidly becoming a widely practiced sport at different levels: this opens up a new demand for systems meant to protect athletes from head impacts or to monitor their effects. The market is offering some solutions in similar sports, but the specificity and high relevance of soccer encourage the development of a dedicated solution. From market analysis, technology scouting, and ethnographic research a set of functional and technical requirements have been defined and proposed. The designed instrumented head band is equipped with one Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) in the occipital area and four contact pressure sensors on the sides. The concept design is low-cost and open-architecture, prioritizing accessibility over complexity. The modularity also ensures that each component (sensing, battery, communication) can be replaced or upgraded independently, enabling iterative refinement and integration into future sports safety systems. In addition to safety monitoring for injury prevention or detection of the traumatic impact, the system is relevant for supporting performance monitoring, rehabilitation or post-injury recovery and other important applications. System engineering has started and the next step is building the prototypes for testing and validation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wearable Devices: Design and Performance Evaluation)
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Review

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19 pages, 1247 KB  
Review
Smart Wearable Devices and Technologies for Human-Augmentation Industry 5.0: A Systematic Review
by Giovanna Giugliano, Sonia Capece, Elena Laudante, Victor F. Martinez Muñoz and Mario Buono
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(3), 1481; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16031481 - 2 Feb 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1507
Abstract
The technologies spread with the phenomenon of Industry 4.0 have changed industrial systems and the role of users. This phenomenon reached its peak with the introduction of Industry 5.0, which emphasises the need to introduce advanced systems for Human-Augmentation. The research presents a [...] Read more.
The technologies spread with the phenomenon of Industry 4.0 have changed industrial systems and the role of users. This phenomenon reached its peak with the introduction of Industry 5.0, which emphasises the need to introduce advanced systems for Human-Augmentation. The research presents a systematic review of wearable devices, applied to different contexts, according to the identification of their main functionalities. The aim is to define a reference framework for the different types of wearable devices in order to identify the critical issues and opportunities offered by current wearable device technologies for transfer to production contexts. Starting from the identification of the taxonomy of classification of wearable devices, a framework has been defined that is based on different factors, types of wearable devices, functional attributes and positioning on body parts. The literature review and classification presented how the design of wearable devices is moving towards solutions capable of improving operational efficiency and ensuring safe levels of interaction between operator and technology, with particular attention to ergonomic factors such as usability. This manuscript aims to open a debate regarding the application scenarios, and research challenges associated with the use of wearable devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wearable Devices: Design and Performance Evaluation)
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15 pages, 2672 KB  
Review
Usability and Acceptance Analysis of Wearable BCI Devices
by Ilaria Lombardi, Mario Buono, Giovanna Giugliano, Vincenzo Paolo Senese and Sonia Capece
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(7), 3512; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15073512 - 23 Mar 2025
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3370
Abstract
In the current scientific and technological scenario, wearable neuroimaging devices represent a revolution in neuroscience and wearable technology. These tools combine the features of neuroimaging technologies with the convenience of wearable devices, enabling real-time exploration of brain activity in real-world contexts. This convergence [...] Read more.
In the current scientific and technological scenario, wearable neuroimaging devices represent a revolution in neuroscience and wearable technology. These tools combine the features of neuroimaging technologies with the convenience of wearable devices, enabling real-time exploration of brain activity in real-world contexts. This convergence defines new perspectives in scientific research, medical diagnosis, and human performance analysis. Technologies such as EEG and fNIRS enable the non-invasive monitoring of brain activity without the need for heavy clinical equipment. Indeed, miniaturization, portability, wireless communication, and energy efficiency are key objectives in the design of advanced devices. In such a scenario, comfort is a key requirement to enable widespread use in different contexts, requiring the design of lightweight and minimally invasive wearable devices. The literature review examines the impact of wearable EEG and fNIRS devices on the user in real-life and laboratory environments in terms of usability and acceptability. The study presents evaluation and design factors—applied to laboratory testing—defined to improve the quality and perception of the user experience and to ensure the accuracy of cognitive load detection. These results will be useful in defining wearable devices, new applications, and future challenges for BCI. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wearable Devices: Design and Performance Evaluation)
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