Towards out-of-studio motion capture through wearable sensors

초록

Wearable sensor technology has rapidly evolved over the past decade, transforming the monitoring of human motion across diverse fields such as health diagnostics, sports analytics, rehabilitation, and the performing arts. While traditional motion capture systems like inertial measurement units (IMUs) are limited by high power consumption, frequent recalibration, and rigid form factors, recent innovations in low-power and self-powered wearable sensors-utilizing piezoresistive, capacitive, piezoelectric, electrochemical, triboelectric, and moist-electric mechanisms-offer more flexible, energy-efficient, and conformal solutions. These advanced sensors are increasingly integrated into soft platforms and smart textiles, enabling continuous, high-fidelity tracking of both dynamic and subtle movements in daily life. Despite these advances, key challenges remain in enhancing the detection of fine motions, improving durability under environmental and mechanical stress, and reducing power consumption for long-term operation. This review provides a comprehensive comparison of wearable sensor mechanisms, critically evaluates their performance in four major application domains, and discusses future directions in materials, device design, and standardization necessary for the widespread adoption of wearable motion-sensing technologies.

키워드