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Search Results (5,764)

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17 pages, 2863 KB  
Article
Flexible Iontronic Pressure Sensor Based on Ammonium Bicarbonate In-Situ Pore-Forming Porous Ionic Gel
by Zhiling Li, Zhixian Li, Liming Qin, Xiaodong Huang and Pan Pei
Micromachines 2026, 17(7), 787; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi17070787 (registering DOI) - 28 Jun 2026
Abstract
To address prevalent industrial challenges, including the high cost of fabricating microstructures via photolithography and 3D printing, impurity residues easily generated by conventional physical/chemical pore-forming techniques, and the limited sensitivity of regular capacitive sensors, this paper innovatively proposes an integrated low-temperature in situ [...] Read more.
To address prevalent industrial challenges, including the high cost of fabricating microstructures via photolithography and 3D printing, impurity residues easily generated by conventional physical/chemical pore-forming techniques, and the limited sensitivity of regular capacitive sensors, this paper innovatively proposes an integrated low-temperature in situ gas foaming strategy using ammonium bicarbonate for the fabrication of porous TPU-based ionic gels. Relying on the complete gaseous decomposition property of ammonium bicarbonate upon heating, a three-dimensionally interconnected continuous porous network is spontaneously constructed inside the polymer matrix. Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is selected as the continuous polymer phase, and [EMIM][TFSI] imidazolium ionic liquid is blended as the ion source to synthesize composite ionic gel substrates. A PDMS composite slurry filled with graphene is employed to prepare flexible substrates, followed by low-temperature oxygen plasma surface modification to introduce polar functional groups such as hydroxyl and carboxyl onto electrode surfaces. A standard sandwich-structured ionic pressure sensor with the configuration of “top modified electrode—porous ionic gel dielectric layer—bottom modified electrode” is finally assembled. The porous framework and modified electrodes constitute a dual synergistic enhancement system: the porous structure markedly reduces the equivalent elastic modulus of the gel and improves its compressive deformation capacity; polar-modified electrodes optimize the interfacial compatibility between electrodes and gels, shorten ion migration paths and lower interfacial contact resistance. Systematic calibration of multiple batches of parallel samples reveals that the as-fabricated sensor achieves a high sensitivity of 25.3 kPa−1 across the full measuring range from 0 to 1000 kPa with a linear fitting coefficient R2 = 0.992. The loading response time and unloading recovery time of the device are 60 ms and 80 ms respectively, with a performance degradation of less than 3% after 1000 consecutive loading–unloading cycles, featuring low hysteresis error and excellent signal repeatability. Multi-scenario in vivo wearable tests on human subjects verify that the device can precisely capture subtle fluctuations of radial artery pulse and periodic laryngeal deformation during swallowing, distinguish characteristic waveform patterns of various English words according to differences in vocal cord vibration, and accurately detect bending motions when attached to finger joints. The entire fabrication process adopts common chemical raw materials and standard laboratory equipment without expensive micro-nano processing facilities, featuring convenient raw material procurement and high process fault tolerance, which enables large-area coating-based mass production. This work delivers a novel technical route for the low-cost large-scale production of high-performance ionic flexible sensors and bears significant industrialization reference value for applications in wearable medical monitoring, bionic robotic electronic skin, flexible human–machine interactive touch panels and other related fields. Full article
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25 pages, 3727 KB  
Article
Comparative Uncertainty Estimation in Neural Network Analysis of Wearable Sensor Signal for Cough and Fall Detection
by Minh Long Hoang, Cesare Svelto, Paolo Ciampolini, Guido Matrella and Giovanni Chiorboli
Sensors 2026, 26(13), 4081; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26134081 (registering DOI) - 27 Jun 2026
Viewed by 167
Abstract
This paper presents research on a Predictive and Uncertainty Assessment Framework (PUAF), providing a comparative analysis of two prominent methods, Monte Carlo (MC) Dropout and Bootstrap-based models, used in uncertainty estimation techniques of Neural Network predictions of human activity recognition using accelerometer data. [...] Read more.
This paper presents research on a Predictive and Uncertainty Assessment Framework (PUAF), providing a comparative analysis of two prominent methods, Monte Carlo (MC) Dropout and Bootstrap-based models, used in uncertainty estimation techniques of Neural Network predictions of human activity recognition using accelerometer data. Unlike traditional studies that optimize classification accuracy, this work emphasizes uncertainty quantification to enhance model reliability, particularly for critical health-related activities. Among the five activity classes of Sit, Sleep, Walk, Cough and Fall, this work concentrates on the Cough and Fall cases. The study exploits acceleration data from a wearable device positioned on the user’s chest, with features derived from three-axis motion measurements. Synthetic datasets are generated by systematically introducing noise variations, added to the original dataset across all axes, to assess robustness under real-world conditions. Each uncertainty estimation method estimates the probabilities for the five different classes along with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals to quantify the prediction uncertainty. A detailed evaluation is conducted by analyzing the average width of these confidence intervals across different noise levels, identifying the most reliable feature and model combination. Both the MC Dropout and Bootstrap enhance model robustness and uncertainty awareness under noisy sensor conditions. The MC Dropout provides sharper and more sensitive uncertainty estimates, while the Bootstrap yields more stable and better-calibrated predictions. The evaluation using the proposed PUAF demonstrates that each method offers distinct advantages, highlighting the importance of uncertainty quantification for reliable wearable-based HAR systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wearable Sensors for Physiological Signal Monitoring)
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16 pages, 6086 KB  
Article
Validation of a Low-Cost Accelerometry Device for Cycle-Based Biomechanical Analysis of Deep-Water Running
by Caroline C. B. Souza, Franciele Parolini, Márcio Fagundes Goethel, Johan Robalino, Gisela Rocha de Siqueira, Alysson L. P. C. Silva, Marcus Vinícius B. Rodrigues, João Paulo Vilas-Boas, Miguel Velhote Correia, Marco Aurélio Benedetti Rodrigues and Ana Paula de Lima Ferreira
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(13), 6404; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16136404 (registering DOI) - 26 Jun 2026
Viewed by 154
Abstract
Hydrotherapy is widely used in rehabilitation because it reduces mechanical loading while preserving neuromuscular and cardiovascular stimulation. However, the biomechanical characterization of deep-water running remains limited, particularly when using accessible wearable systems for cycle-based movement analysis. This study aimed to evaluate the concurrent [...] Read more.
Hydrotherapy is widely used in rehabilitation because it reduces mechanical loading while preserving neuromuscular and cardiovascular stimulation. However, the biomechanical characterization of deep-water running remains limited, particularly when using accessible wearable systems for cycle-based movement analysis. This study aimed to evaluate the concurrent validity and agreement of a low-cost accelerometry device for cycle-based analysis of deep-water running, using a commercial accelerometry system as the reference measurement system. Twenty-one healthy participants performed a 25 m deep-water running task with simultaneous data acquisition from mechanically coupled sensors to ensure alignment. A total of 75 synchronized cycles were processed using a standardized pipeline that included filtering, synchronization, cycle detection, and parameter extraction. Statistical analysis was conducted using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, intraclass correlation coefficient, Spearman’s correlation, Bland–Altman analysis, and error metrics. The results showed good agreement for temporal and volumetric variables, including cycle duration (ICC = 0.84), cumulative acceleration (ICC = 0.82), and area under the curve (ICC = 0.68). However, lower agreement and systematic bias were observed for intensity-related variables, particularly RMS and peak acceleration, despite more than 92% of cycles falling within the 95% limits of agreement (LoA). These findings suggest that the proposed device provides acceptable agreement for temporal and volumetric variables during deep-water running and may represent a low-cost alternative for movement monitoring in aquatic environments. However, intensity-related variables should be interpreted with caution due to the systematic differences observed between systems. Full article
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18 pages, 2846 KB  
Article
Design, Manufacturing and Characterization of Stretchable Silicone-Based Conductive Composites
by Jahnavi Boyapally, Vinod Kumar Darapureddy, Midhun Vorvala and Zahabul Islam
Designs 2026, 10(4), 67; https://doi.org/10.3390/designs10040067 (registering DOI) - 26 Jun 2026
Viewed by 163
Abstract
Stretchable conductive composites are important for soft electronics, wearable systems, and adaptive electromechanical devices, yet the mechanisms governing strain-dependent electrical transport remain insufficiently understood, particularly in hybrid filler systems. In this work, the strain-dependent electromechanical behavior of graphite–silicone and hybrid graphite–copper–silicone composites was [...] Read more.
Stretchable conductive composites are important for soft electronics, wearable systems, and adaptive electromechanical devices, yet the mechanisms governing strain-dependent electrical transport remain insufficiently understood, particularly in hybrid filler systems. In this work, the strain-dependent electromechanical behavior of graphite–silicone and hybrid graphite–copper–silicone composites was investigated under uniaxial tensile deformation up to 60% strain. Electrical measurements revealed distinct transport behaviors governed by filler composition and conductive network structure. Graphite-only composites containing 50 wt% and 60 wt% graphite exhibited monotonic resistance increases with increasing strain due to progressive widening of inter-particle tunneling gaps between neighboring graphite platelets. In contrast, hybrid graphite–copper composites showed monotonic resistance decreases under deformation, which is attributed to Poisson-ratio-driven transverse contraction, tunneling-gap reduction, and strain-assisted formation of Cu–Cu and Cu–graphite conductive pathways. Representative volume element (RVE)-based simulations further supported the proposed transport interpretation. From an engineering design perspective, the results show that filler composition and conductive network architecture can be used as design variables to tune strain-dependent electrical responses in stretchable conductive composites. These findings provide design guidance for developing silicone-based conductive composites with tunable electromechanical functionality for soft electronics, wearable sensors, and adaptive devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Smart Manufacturing System Design)
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13 pages, 6892 KB  
Article
Smart Ear-Mounted Heart Rate Monitoring Device as a Proof-of-Concept Platform for Calving Monitoring in Dairy Cows
by Mónica B. Torres Dávila, Miguel Á. García Sánchez, Mario Molina Almaraz, Eduardo García Sánchez, Luis E. Bañuelos García, José C. Torres Dávila, Ma. del Rosario Martínez Blanco, Luis O. Solís Sánchez, Gerardo Sánchez Sandoval and Luis H. Mendoza Huizar
Inventions 2026, 11(4), 67; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions11040067 (registering DOI) - 25 Jun 2026
Viewed by 114
Abstract
Calving in cattle is divided into two main stages: dilation and expulsion, during which timely assistance can reduce reproductive losses. This study presents a smart ear-mounted device as a proof-of-concept heart-rate monitoring platform for calving-stage assessment in dairy cows. The prototype preserves the [...] Read more.
Calving in cattle is divided into two main stages: dilation and expulsion, during which timely assistance can reduce reproductive losses. This study presents a smart ear-mounted device as a proof-of-concept heart-rate monitoring platform for calving-stage assessment in dairy cows. The prototype preserves the form factor of a conventional ear tag and integrates a MAX30105 optical sensor, an Arduino Nano microcontroller, local micro-SD storage, and an autonomous power supply. Field tests were conducted in Holstein cows at Rancho El Pinar, Trancoso, Zacatecas, Mexico. Heart rate was recorded every 10 min and grouped according to physiological stages around calving. The results showed distinctive heart rate patterns, with higher values during dilation and lower values after delivery, supporting the use of ear-mounted heart rate monitoring as a non-invasive descriptive marker of stage-related physiological variation around labor. An average temperature profile from 70 h before to 50 h after calving was also incorporated as complementary descriptive evidence of peripartum physiological variation. Because heart rate is a non-specific physiological variable affected by stress, movement, ambient temperature, feeding, health status, and sensor contact, the present study does not propose HR as a stand-alone or definitive predictor of calving or dystocia. Instead, the device is presented as a proof-of-concept platform for future multi-indicator monitoring and validation studies. The proposed system is presented as a proof-of-concept invention that combines a practical wearable format with physiological monitoring and a conceptual decision-support logic that remains to be validated and integrated with additional indicators before any field implementation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 10th Anniversary of Inventions)
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24 pages, 10002 KB  
Article
A Wireless Analog Interface with Near Frame-Accurate Synchronization for Optical Motion Capture
by Taylor M. Pierce, Emerson Noble, Lucas Davis, Jesus Wilkins and Kenneth J. Loh
Electronics 2026, 15(13), 2787; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15132787 - 24 Jun 2026
Viewed by 197
Abstract
Human kinematic analysis is an increasingly important tool in biomechanics, human performance, and wearable sensing research. Many emerging sensing modalities utilize custom sensors requiring accurate temporal alignment with ground-truth biomechanical movement data. Optical motion capture systems provide high-fidelity kinematic measurements but operate as [...] Read more.
Human kinematic analysis is an increasingly important tool in biomechanics, human performance, and wearable sensing research. Many emerging sensing modalities utilize custom sensors requiring accurate temporal alignment with ground-truth biomechanical movement data. Optical motion capture systems provide high-fidelity kinematic measurements but operate as closed, self-contained systems, making time synchronization with external sensor data non-trivial, particularly in wireless and mobile contexts. This work presents a wireless analog interface system built using commercially available components that enables alignment between analog sensor data (e.g., from custom wearables and Internet-of-Things devices) and a commercial motion capture system. The proposed architecture consists of a wearable data acquisition node and a receiver node interfaced directly with an optical motion capture system, allowing synchronized recording of analog sensor signals alongside kinematic data. Notably, the system reconstructs signals into the commercial hardware interface rather than relying on triggers or sync outputs, resulting in a single data file containing kinematics and sensor readings. Benchtop testing demonstrated a mean end-to-end frame delay of ~6 ms, with 95% of the sample exhibiting delay within 15 ms. Accounting for the typical offset, this leaves a standard deviation of 4 ms, within one motion capture frame of the true timestamp (at 100 Hz). Voltage reconstruction accuracy was within 30 mV across the tested conditions, with gain compression below 2.7%. Adjacent channel crosstalk remained below −83 dB across all test conditions. The use of commercial off-the-shelf components supports replication and adaptation by other research groups and integration with different optical motion capture systems. Full article
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12 pages, 2953 KB  
Article
High-Performance Integrated Self-Powered PNP Hydrogel Sensor for Wearable Human Monitoring
by Jiawei Long, Pan Niu, Hongbing Li and Yong Zhang
Polymers 2026, 18(13), 1572; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18131572 - 24 Jun 2026
Viewed by 148
Abstract
With the rapid advancement of wearable technologies, high-performance flexible sensors have garnered significant research interest. This study presents a PAM-5 hydrogel characterized by exceptional tensile strain (425%), superior compressive modulus (325 kPa), and notable ionic conductivity (1.1 S/m), serving as a robust mechanical [...] Read more.
With the rapid advancement of wearable technologies, high-performance flexible sensors have garnered significant research interest. This study presents a PAM-5 hydrogel characterized by exceptional tensile strain (425%), superior compressive modulus (325 kPa), and notable ionic conductivity (1.1 S/m), serving as a robust mechanical framework and electrical foundation for developing advanced sensors. The PNP-5 integrated hydrogel sensor fabricated from this material demonstrates an extensive sensing range (2–53 kPa), remarkable sensitivity, and rapid response time (~321 ms), with its outstanding performance attributed to the synergistic structural design. Furthermore, the sensor exhibits excellent durability, maintaining consistent voltage output (~6.5 mV) across 1000 compression cycles, confirming its long-term operational stability. Through real-time monitoring of physiological signals and biomechanical movements including finger bending, respiration, and grasping, combined with spatial pressure mapping experiments using a 5 × 5 array touchpad, the device’s potential applications in wearable sensing platforms and human–machine interface systems are effectively demonstrated. This self-powered hydrogel sensor not only advances the performance metrics of flexible electronic devices but also establishes a solid experimental basis for future development of intelligent materials in health monitoring and interactive technologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application and Development of Polymer Hydrogel)
30 pages, 2442 KB  
Review
Smartphone-Based Technologies in Equine Sports Medicine: Supporting Athlete Management—A Review
by Federica Meistro, Paola D’Angelo, Alessandro Spadari and Riccardo Rinnovati
Sensors 2026, 26(13), 4002; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26134002 - 24 Jun 2026
Viewed by 124
Abstract
Equine sports medicine is increasingly oriented toward objective, field-based monitoring systems that support both performance optimization and welfare assessment. In this context, smartphone-based technologies have emerged as accessible tools capable of integrating data acquisition, processing, and interpretation within a single platform. This narrative [...] Read more.
Equine sports medicine is increasingly oriented toward objective, field-based monitoring systems that support both performance optimization and welfare assessment. In this context, smartphone-based technologies have emerged as accessible tools capable of integrating data acquisition, processing, and interpretation within a single platform. This narrative review aims to examine the role of smartphones in equine sports medicine, focusing on their function as standalone sensing devices and as gateways for wearable and external sensor systems. The analysis is based on a structured synthesis of current literature addressing technological foundations, including embedded sensors, connectivity architectures, and artificial intelligence-driven data processing, as well as their clinical applications across locomotor, cardiovascular, respiratory, behavioural, and thermoregulatory domains. Evidence indicates that smartphone-based systems improve the feasibility of longitudinal monitoring and facilitate real-time decision-making in field conditions, while enhancing communication between veterinarians, trainers, and owners. However, their performance remains influenced by acquisition conditions, system variability, and algorithmic constraints, requiring careful validation and contextual interpretation. In addition, challenges related to data governance, privacy, and ethical use remain insufficiently addressed. Overall, smartphone-based technologies represent enabling tools that support a transition toward more integrated, data-driven, and welfare-oriented management of the equine athlete, while highlighting the need for standardisation and regulatory development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Sensors Development)
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27 pages, 489 KB  
Systematic Review
Concurrent Validity and Reliability of Inertial Sensor-Based Wearables for Quantifying Spatial–Temporal Gait Parameters After Stroke: A Systematic Review
by Víctor Martínez-Pozo, David Barbado, Carmina Díaz-Marín, Jonatan García-Campos, Carles Blasco-Peris, Pablo Ros-Arlanzón, Luis Moreno-Navarro, Ivo D. Popivanov, Shima Mehrabian-Spasova, Lachezar Traykov, Bernardino Morillo-Merino, Elisabeth García-Alonso and Diana Salas-Gómez
Brain Sci. 2026, 16(7), 662; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16070662 - 24 Jun 2026
Viewed by 219
Abstract
This systematic review examined the validity and reliability of wearable inertial sensor systems to quantify spatiotemporal gait parameters in post-stroke adults, a population in which gait asymmetry and altered motor control challenge accurate measurement. Sixteen studies involving 300 participants were included. Spatial parameters [...] Read more.
This systematic review examined the validity and reliability of wearable inertial sensor systems to quantify spatiotemporal gait parameters in post-stroke adults, a population in which gait asymmetry and altered motor control challenge accurate measurement. Sixteen studies involving 300 participants were included. Spatial parameters gait speed, cadence, and step/stride length showed consistently good-to-excellent agreement with reference systems (ICC 0.85–0.98; 95% LoA ±0.03–0.08 m/s for gait speed, ±4–10 steps/min for cadence, and ±3–8 cm for step/stride length) and high test–retest reliability. Temporal parameters demonstrated greater heterogeneity, with larger errors and lower concordance (ICC 0.40–0.85; LoA ±0.04–0.12 s), particularly for swing time (ICC 0.40–0.70; LoA up to ±0.15 s). Paretic-side measurements showed 10–20% lower concordance and 30–50% wider limits of agreement compared with the non-paretic side, although within-subject reliability remained moderate to high. No consistent influence of sensor number on measurement accuracy was observed. Overall, wearable inertial sensors provide robust estimates of spatial gait parameters, whereas temporal outcomes especially swing time remain limited due to challenges in gait event detection under stroke-related biomechanical alterations. These findings highlight the need for standardized protocols and improved algorithms to enhance comparability across studies and support broader clinical adoption. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Neurorehabilitation)
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34 pages, 5532 KB  
Article
Attention-Based Multimodal Framework for Athlete-Performance Analysis and Rehabilitation Monitoring Using Vision and Wearable Sensors
by Mohammed Alonazi, Iqra Aijaz Abro, Maha Abdelhaq, Raed Alsaqour, Ahmad Jalal and Hui Liu
Bioengineering 2026, 13(7), 718; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering13070718 - 23 Jun 2026
Viewed by 179
Abstract
Background: Advances in monitoring systems featuring wearable sensors, computer vision, and artificial intelligence (AI) have been increasingly used in sports science and rehabilitation practices as a means of movement pattern analysis, injury prevention, and training optimization. These technologies are becoming essential components of [...] Read more.
Background: Advances in monitoring systems featuring wearable sensors, computer vision, and artificial intelligence (AI) have been increasingly used in sports science and rehabilitation practices as a means of movement pattern analysis, injury prevention, and training optimization. These technologies are becoming essential components of athlete-performance analysis and rehabilitation-monitoring systems designed to support biomechanical assessment, athlete development, and movement-quality evaluation. Athlete-performance analysis and rehabilitation monitoring increasingly rely on intelligent multimodal sensing systems capable of continuously evaluating movement quality, biomechanical patterns, training execution, and recovery progress. Human activity recognition (HAR) serves as a key enabling technology for these applications by providing automated assessment of human movement using wearable and vision-based sensing modalities. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate an attention-based multimodal framework that integrates wearable inertial sensing and RGB video analysis for robust athlete-performance assessment and rehabilitation monitoring through accurate recognition of human movement patterns. Methods: Athlete-performance analysis and rehabilitation monitoring combining inertial sensor data and RGB-based visual information was introduced. Inertial signals were segmented with adaptive windowing, whereas silhouette refinement was performed to analyze motion structures from visual inputs in support of athlete-performance analysis and rehabilitation monitoring. Temporal, spatial, and motion features such as trajectory, orientation, and skeleton-based space-time representations were calculated from multimodal inputs. The proposed framework was designed to capture complex movement dynamics associated with rehabilitation exercises and sports-related motion patterns across heterogeneous sensing environments. Extracted features were then combined and optimized with a multimodal feature fusion approach, while the Ranger optimization algorithm was utilized during the process. An attention-based deep learning classifier was implemented to classify movement activities. Results: The results showed that the proposed framework reached accuracy scores of 88.40% and 87.96% on the VIDIMU dataset and the UTD-MHAD dataset respectively. Recognition performance across both inertial and vision-based modalities provided greater robustness than single-modality solutions. The integration of wearable sensing and computer vision modalities further improved the ability of the framework to analyze complex movement behaviors under varying execution conditions and environmental variations. Conclusion: The proposed multimodal framework provides a foundation for intelligent athlete-performance and rehabilitation-monitoring systems by integrating wearable sensing, computer vision, and attention-based artificial intelligence for robust movement analysis. The findings highlight its potential to support biomechanical assessment, movement-quality evaluation, training-performance monitoring, rehabilitation tracking, and injury-risk management in modern sports and healthcare environments. Full article
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13 pages, 492 KB  
Article
Task-Dependent Performance of Wearable Multimodal Biofeedback in Physical Rehabilitation: A Longitudinal Post-Stroke Case Study
by Cristiana Pinheiro, Joana Figueiredo, Tânia Pereira, Cristina Cruz, João Cerqueira and Cristina P. Santos
Healthcare 2026, 14(13), 1823; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14131823 - 23 Jun 2026
Viewed by 108
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Wearable technology is increasingly used to provide biofeedback in physical rehabilitation; however, there is no consensus on which biofeedback parameter is most appropriate for clinical use, as most studies evaluate only one arbitrarily selected parameter. This study presents a wearable multimodal biofeedback [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Wearable technology is increasingly used to provide biofeedback in physical rehabilitation; however, there is no consensus on which biofeedback parameter is most appropriate for clinical use, as most studies evaluate only one arbitrarily selected parameter. This study presents a wearable multimodal biofeedback system integrating multiple parameters selected based on the prior literature and evaluates its feasibility, usability, and implementation within a rehabilitation context through a longitudinal post-stroke case study. Methods: The system integrates inertial and electromyographic sensors to monitor centre of mass (CoM-B), joint angle (ANG-B), and muscle activity (EMG-B), delivering real-time sensory cues based on the monitored parameters. Feasibility was assessed in a post-stroke participant (male, 32 years, 29 months post-stroke, left hemiparesis, Fugl-Meyer Lower Extremity Score = 27) across 15 sessions involving stand-to-sit, split-stance weight shifting, and walking tasks. Each task was practiced with all three biofeedback parameters, with five sessions per parameter. Results: The motor performance varied across biofeedback parameters and tasks. CoM-B was associated with favourable trends in motor performance during stand-to-sit, showing improvements in medio-lateral displacement (0.03/session); ANG-B during walking, showing increased ankle dorsiflexion (1 deg/session); and EMG-B during split-stance weight shifting, showing increased tibialis anterior activation (5 µV/session). Conclusions: The findings generate the hypothesis that the ability of biofeedback to elicit favourable motor performance is task-dependent, suggesting that the choice of biofeedback parameters may need to be adapted to task demands. The system demonstrated high usability and feasibility, supporting its potential for post-stroke rehabilitation. Further studies are needed to test the generated hypothesis and evaluate the system efficacy. Full article
62 pages, 3840 KB  
Review
Walking as a Window to the Brain: Redefining Gait in Neurology
by Emmanuel Ortega-Robles, Mario Treviño, Elías Manjarrez and Oscar Arias-Carrión
Med. Sci. 2026, 14(3), 338; https://doi.org/10.3390/medsci14030338 - 23 Jun 2026
Viewed by 167
Abstract
Walking is not merely locomotion but a window into the nervous system, integrating cortical, subcortical, cerebellar, spinal, and peripheral networks into a unified motor behavior. Across neurological diseases—including Parkinson’s disease, atypical parkinsonism, cerebellar ataxias, stroke, multiple sclerosis, neuropathies, neuromuscular disorders, and functional gait [...] Read more.
Walking is not merely locomotion but a window into the nervous system, integrating cortical, subcortical, cerebellar, spinal, and peripheral networks into a unified motor behavior. Across neurological diseases—including Parkinson’s disease, atypical parkinsonism, cerebellar ataxias, stroke, multiple sclerosis, neuropathies, neuromuscular disorders, and functional gait syndromes—gait disturbances are among the most disabling clinical features, contributing to falls, loss of independence, institutionalization, and premature mortality. Traditional bedside observation remains indispensable, but it lacks the sensitivity and reproducibility needed to capture subtle, episodic, or prodromal abnormalities. Over the past decade, advances in wearable sensors, marker-based and markerless motion capture, pressure-sensitive walkways, force plates, artificial intelligence, and machine learning have positioned digital mobility outcomes as promising, ecologically valid biomarkers of neurological function. These measures can support differential diagnosis, provide prognostic information on falls and survival, and serve as sensitive endpoints in therapeutic trials. They may also detect early abnormalities, such as increased stride-to-stride variability or prolonged double-support time, before overt clinical deterioration becomes evident. Clinical applications are increasingly evident across disorders, including distinguishing Parkinson’s disease from atypical parkinsonism, quantifying treatment response in normal-pressure hydrocephalus, tracking progression in ataxia and multiple sclerosis, predicting functional decline in motor neuron disease, and guiding rehabilitation after stroke. Integration with neuroimaging, electrophysiology, and molecular biomarkers is beginning to reveal the circuits underlying variability, instability, and freezing, positioning gait as a systems-level marker of neural integrity. Nevertheless, methodological heterogeneity, limited disease-specific validation, insufficient longitudinal data, and lack of consensus on clinically meaningful parameters continue to constrain translation. Cognitive, affective, and environmental influences also remain insufficiently represented in digital frameworks, while equity, accessibility, algorithmic bias, and privacy require careful ethical governance. Reconceptualizing gait as a “sixth vital sign” reframes mobility as a multidimensional biomarker of neural and systemic health. With harmonized protocols, robust validation, multimodal integration, and appropriate ethical frameworks, gait analysis could become a cornerstone of precision neurology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Neurosciences)
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28 pages, 1053 KB  
Systematic Review
Intelligent Orthotics Technology in the Management of Diabetic Foot Ulcers and Knee Osteoarthritis: A Comprehensive Systematic Review
by Wissam Osman Soubra, Dennis John Cordato, Kaneez Fatima Shad and Sara Lal
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(13), 6301; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16136301 - 23 Jun 2026
Viewed by 152
Abstract
Background: The management of diabetic foot disease and knee osteoarthritis (OA) with smart orthotics holds significant importance during the early stages of these conditions, given their potential consequences, including functional impairment, chronic pain, and economic burden. Real-time monitoring of plantar foot pressure enables [...] Read more.
Background: The management of diabetic foot disease and knee osteoarthritis (OA) with smart orthotics holds significant importance during the early stages of these conditions, given their potential consequences, including functional impairment, chronic pain, and economic burden. Real-time monitoring of plantar foot pressure enables early detection of abnormal force distribution and gait biomechanics, allowing for the redirection of forces away from affected ulcers or arthritic joints. This is the first systematic review to synthesise clinical evidence for smart orthotics technology with real-time plantar pressure sensor biofeedback across both diabetic foot ulcer prevention and knee osteoarthritis management simultaneously. A search of the PROSPERO register confirmed no existing registration covers this specific combination. Objectives: To examine the clinical evidence for the use of standard and smart orthotics in the prevention and management of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) and knee OA, and to evaluate their impact on plantar pressure redistribution, ulcer recurrence, pain, biomechanics, and economic burden. Eligibility criteria: Studies published in English involving human adult participants (≥18 years) with a clinical diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (at risk of DFU or with peripheral neuropathy) or knee OA, where the intervention involved any orthotic device or smart/intelligent insole with clinical outcomes reported, were included. Studies on healthy individuals only, those not reporting participant age, and non-weight-bearing protocols not differentiated from weight-bearing were excluded. Information sources: Five databases were searched: CINAHL (EBSCO Information Services, Ipswich, MA, USA), PubMed Advanced (National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA), Wiley Online Library (John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ, USA), Cochrane Library (Cochrane Collaboration, London, UK), and Google Scholar (Google LLC, Mountain View, CA, USA). Searches were completed in May 2026. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive literature review. This review was structured and reported with reference to the PRISMA 2020 statement (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis; University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada) to guide transparency of reporting. It does not constitute a full Cochrane-style systematic review; risk of bias assessment was applied to key included studies and GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation; McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada) certainty ratings were applied informally and narratively rather than as formal per-outcome evidence profiles. Five databases were searched yielding 92,637 records. After removal of 398 duplicates by Rayyan, 92,239 records remained. A subsequent automated keyword-based relevance filter applied within Rayyan (Rayyan AI, Doha, Qatar), prior to human screening, excluded 84,572 records that did not contain any terms related to orthotics, diabetic foot, or knee osteoarthritis, yielding 7667 records for human title/abstract screening. A narrative synthesis approach was adopted owing to the heterogeneity of study designs and outcome measures across included studies, which precluded meta-analysis. This review was not prospectively registered. A complete list of all 78 included studies, including those not individually discussed in the results and discussion. Results: The available clinical studies report promising findings for orthotics and smart orthotics in pain reduction, ulcer prevention, and potential reduction in economic burden, though conclusions are limited by small sample sizes, heterogeneity, and predominantly open-label designs. Recent research found that orthotics can be used to alter the gait pattern that influences knee OA by reducing excessive force on the affected joint. A randomised controlled trial demonstrated an 80% relative risk reduction in DFU recurrence (RR = 0.20; 95% CI: 0.06–0.79; p = 0.022), with absolute event rates of 6.3% in the intervention group versus 30.8% in controls (ARR = 24.5%); a second trial reported a 71% reduction in ulcer incidence over 18 months; and a third randomised controlled trial demonstrated statistically significant plantar pressure reduction (p < 0.01) in patients with diabetic neuropathy. Conclusions: The available evidence suggests that orthotics may be associated with improved pressure redistribution, reduced ulcer incidence, and benefit in the management of knee OA. Although the number of studies directly comparing smart orthotics with standard orthotics remains limited, the limited comparative studies suggested that smart orthotics showed promising results in reducing ulcer incidence, providing the patient with real-time feedback to offload via their electronic devices. These findings, while preliminary, highlight the potential of smart orthotic technology as an adjunct to standard orthotic care in reducing the overall burden of diabetic foot disease and knee osteoarthritis. Limitations: The primary methodological limitation of this review is the open-label design of all included smart orthotic trials, which precludes participant blinding and introduces performance bias. However, this limitation is structural and inherent to the wearable technology field—analogous to surgical trials—and is substantially mitigated by the use of objective primary outcome measures (plantar pressure and ulcer recurrence) across the three included RCTs, the consistency of effect direction across independent RCTs conducted in different countries, and a narrative sensitivity analysis confirming robustness of findings (Risk of Bias Across Studies Section). Formal per-outcome GRADE evidence profiles were not produced; overall certainty of evidence was assessed narratively with reference to GRADE domains and is judged to be low to moderate for smart orthotics in DFU prevention and low for knee OA management, consistent with the Level 2–3 evidence base and open-label study designs. Future adequately powered, multi-site RCTs with standardised outcome reporting, minimum 24-month follow-up, and integrated health economic modelling are the highest priority to extend these preliminary findings. Registration: This review was not prospectively registered. Full article
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21 pages, 1659 KB  
Article
Continual Learning for Precision Livestock Farming: Mitigating Catastrophic Forgetting in Edge-Deployed Behavioral Recognition
by Rodrigo Garcia and Horderlin Robles
AI 2026, 7(7), 233; https://doi.org/10.3390/ai7070233 - 23 Jun 2026
Viewed by 254
Abstract
Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) increasingly relies on edge-deployed sensors to monitor bovine behaviors, fostering improved welfare and management. However, behavioral data naturally expands over time and presents severe class imbalances due to animals’ predominantly sedentary routines. When continuous sequential updates are required without [...] Read more.
Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) increasingly relies on edge-deployed sensors to monitor bovine behaviors, fostering improved welfare and management. However, behavioral data naturally expands over time and presents severe class imbalances due to animals’ predominantly sedentary routines. When continuous sequential updates are required without access to historical datasets, deep learning methods frequently succumb to catastrophic forgetting. This study introduces an ultra-lightweight (∼0.85 MB) Continual Learning (CL) architecture built upon a CNN-BiLSTM feature extractor, tailored to process multivariate Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) streams. We exhaustively evaluated baseline Naïve Fine-Tuning against Elastic Weight Consolidation (EWC), Learning without Forgetting (LwF), and episodic Replay under three rigorous real-world paradigms: Class Incremental, Subject Incremental (domain shift), and Imbalanced Realistic scenarios. Our empirical findings expose the fragility of static paradigms: in Class Incremental expansions, Naïve Fine-Tuning collapsed to an Average Accuracy of 33.33%. Conversely, Experience Replay emerged as the most robust defense, achieving a statistically significant Average Accuracy of 74.64 ± 6.77% across multiple random seeds. Furthermore, LwF effectively mitigated structural variations across unseen animal domains (Subject Incremental) without requiring raw data buffers. Notably, under severe biological class imbalances (Imbalanced Cumulative), the architecture proved highly resilient, maintaining 98.46% Average Accuracy and retaining perfect minority class recall. This research validates the operational feasibility of deploying adaptive, privacy-preserving CL frameworks directly on low-power wearable devices for lifelong livestock monitoring. Full article
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19 pages, 1399 KB  
Systematic Review
Markerless Motion Capture for Human Movement Estimation Using Artificial Intelligence: A Systematic Review
by Georgina Domènech-Garcia, Xavier Marimon, Andoni Carrasco-Urribarren, Alejandro E. Portela and Caritat Bagur-Calafat
Pediatr. Rep. 2026, 18(4), 83; https://doi.org/10.3390/pediatric18040083 (registering DOI) - 23 Jun 2026
Viewed by 148
Abstract
Background: Artificial intelligence (AI)-driven markerless motion capture (MMC) technologies are increasingly being integrated into pediatric healthcare to improve the assessment and management of movement disorders. These video-based systems enable non-invasive motion analysis without wearable sensors, facilitating more natural movement assessment in children, [...] Read more.
Background: Artificial intelligence (AI)-driven markerless motion capture (MMC) technologies are increasingly being integrated into pediatric healthcare to improve the assessment and management of movement disorders. These video-based systems enable non-invasive motion analysis without wearable sensors, facilitating more natural movement assessment in children, particularly those with neurological or developmental conditions. Objectives: We evaluated the clinical applicability of AI-based MMC tools in pediatric settings for diagnosis, monitoring of motor development, and rehabilitation. Methods: This systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024511787) and conducted by two independent reviewers, with a third reviewer resolving disagreements. The literature published between 2018 and 2025 was systematically searched. Studies involving pediatric populations or clinically relevant pediatric applications of MMC were included. Results: Of 1521 identified studies, 52 were finally selected. The included studies evaluated populations across a wide age range. However, seven of the included articles were specifically focused on underage populations. Infant studies primarily analyzed whole-body movements, emphasizing the relevance of global motor patterns in early development. OpenPose and AlphaPose were the most frequently used frameworks in pediatric research because of their automatic full-body key point detection, whereas DeepLabCut was commonly selected for its customizable labeling capabilities. Theia3D emerged as a promising clinically applicable solution with high accuracy. Most studies evaluated kinematic parameters as objective markers of motor performance and development. However, methodological heterogeneity and limited pediatric-specific validation remain important limitations. Conclusions: AI-driven MMC technologies show considerable potential to support objective, accessible, and child-friendly movement assessment in pediatric clinical practice. Full article
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