Motion capturing garments and system and method for motion capture using jeans and other garments

Abstract

A real-time motion capture system and garment includes a wearable activity monitor that may be a pair of denim jeans. The wearable activity monitor includes multiple sensors such as accelerometers, gyrometers, magnetometers disposed within the seams of the garment. A microprocessor and wireless transmitter) communicate the motion data to an external device. The microprocessor and wireless transmitter may be included within one of the seams. An elastically stretchable ribbon or a flexible ribbon such as a kapton ribbon or a ribbon formed of textile, electrically couples the sensors and microprocessor and is also disposed inside the seams and the components within the seam are coated with a waterproof coating. The external device can store the data or display and analyze the data real-time, and may communicate the data to a further electronic device.

1 . A garment comprising fabric and including a plurality of inertial measurement units (IMU's) contained within seams of said garment. 
     
     
         2 . The garment according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one microcontroller disposed on said garment or within at least one of said seams of said garment and electrically coupled to said plurality of IMU's. 
     
     
         3 . The garment according to  claim 1 , further comprising a wireless transmitter disposed in or on said garment and adapted to wirelessly transmit data from said IMU's to at least one external data receiving and processing device. 
     
     
         4 . The garment according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of IMU's are electrically coupled to one another along a ribbon of a flexible material further disposed within said seams, said ribbon including a plurality of electrical connections forming a communication bus. 
     
     
         5 . The garment according to  claim 4 , wherein said ribbon is elastically stretchable by at least 10%, said electrical connections being arranged along said ribbon in a crooked path. 
     
     
         6 . The garment according to  claim 5 , wherein said flexible material comprises plastic, textile or conductive yarn and further comprising a waterproof coating at least on said IMU's, within said seams. 
     
     
         7 . The garment according to  claim 6 , wherein said garment is a pair of pants formed of denim. 
     
     
         8 . The garment according to  claim 7 , wherein said seams include, for each pant leg of said pair of pants, an outer lateral seam extending in a longitudinal direction along a wearer's leg and/or an inner medial seam extending in said longitudinal direction along said wearer's leg, each of said outer lateral seams and/or each of said inner medial seams including at least one of said plurality of IMU's disposed along a wearer's femur, and at least one of said plurality of IMU's disposed along a lower portion of said wearer's leg. 
     
     
         9 . The garment according to  claim 8 , wherein said seams include a waist seam extending along a waist of said pair of pants, said waist seam including at least one of said plurality of IMU's disposed therein. 
     
     
         10 . The garment according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of IMU's includes a plurality of accelerometers, gyrometers and magnetometers. 
     
     
         11 . The garment according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of an LED and one or more vibration members disposed within at least one of said seams. 
     
     
         12 . A motion capture system comprising:
 a garment formed of fabric and including a plurality of inertial measurement units (IMU's) contained within seams of said garment,   a wireless transmitter disposed in or on said garment and adapted to wirelessly transmit data from said IMU's to at least one external data receiving and processing device, and   said external device including a processor adapted to receive and analyze said transmitted data and a display that displays said data, said external device adapted to control at least one further electronic device based upon said data.   
     
     
         13 . A method for monitoring and analyzing real time motion, said method comprising:
 acquiring motion data from a plurality of inertial measurement units (IMU's) disposed within seams of a garment disposed on a non-stationary entity;   wirelessly transmitting said motion data to a device that includes at least one of a processor and a display; and   at least one of displaying and analyzing said data.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising one of said plurality of IMU's detecting a gravity vector, wherein said acquiring motion data is carried out using said gravity vector as reference. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein said at least one of displaying and analyzing includes analyzing said motion data regarding angle, yaw, pitch, location and acceleration of a human wearer's femurs and said human wearer's tibias or fibulas, and visually displaying movement associated with said motion data on said display. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , further comprising a microcontroller receiving data wirelessly transmitted from said device and providing tactile feedback based on said data wirelessly transmitted from said device. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein said at least one of displaying and analyzing includes collecting said motion data during a collecting period and displaying said collected data when desired, said displaying said collected data including displaying graphically a statistic distribution of the angles for each human wearer's femurs and for each human wearer's tibias or fibulas. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein said providing tactile feedback comprises providing tactile feedback to different parts of the human wearer's body in response to said analyzing.