RWTH Aachen develops washable smart jacket for healthcare sector

Researchers at RWTH Aachen University are developing a washable smart jacket with textile sensors built into the garment to monitor rehabilitation exercises. The technology is being developed for healthcare applications where wearable technology can support a specific treatment need.

The jacket is being developed as part of the PhysioTaix research project by ITA, the Institute for Technical Textiles at RWTH Aachen. It is designed to monitor patients while they perform prescribed exercises, including exercises completed at home between physiotherapy appointments.

The sensors are directly integrated into the jacket, removing the need to attach several separate sensors to different parts of the body. The jacket records movement in real time and sends the data to an app, where artificial intelligence analyses how the exercises are being performed. The garment is also being designed to be washable and reusable, which is important for its potential use in healthcare settings.

Patients can receive immediate feedback to help them understand whether they are performing the movements correctly. Physiotherapists can also use the recorded information as additional data when assessing a patient’s rehabilitation progress.

The technology aims to address an important challenge in physiotherapy. Recovery often depends on patients regularly repeating exercises between appointments, when a therapist is not available to watch their movements or correct errors.