A Self‐Powered Body Motion Sensing Network Integrated with Multiple Triboelectric Fabrics for Biometric Gait Recognition and Auxiliary Rehabilitation Training

Abstract

Gait analysis provides a convenient strategy for the diagnosis and rehabilitation assessment of diseases of skeletal, muscular, and neurological systems. However, challenges remain in current gait recognition methods due to the drawbacks of complex systems, high cost, affecting natural gait, and one‐size‐fits‐all model. Here, a highly integrated gait recognition system composed of a self‐powered multi‐point body motion sensing network (SMN) based on full textile structure is demonstrated. By combining of newly developed energy harvesting technology of triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) and traditional textile manufacturing process, SMN not only ensures high pressure response sensitivity up to 1.5 V kPa ⁻¹, but also is endowed with several good properties, such as full flexibility, excellent breathability (165 mm s ⁻¹), and good moisture permeability (318 g m ⁻² h ⁻¹). By using machine learning to analyze periodic signals and dynamic parameters of limbs swing, the gait recognition system exhibits a high accuracy of 96.7% of five pathological gaits. In addition, a customizable auxiliary rehabilitation exercise system that monitors the extent of the patient's rehabilitation exercise is developed to observe the patient's condition and instruct timely recovery training. The machine learning‐assisted SMN can provide a feasible solution for disease diagnosis and personalized rehabilitation of the patients.