![Sample our Engineering & Technology journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5933/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Engineering-Tech.jpg"})
Abstract
In this article, we propose a smart mat application in the form of a thin mat placed on the floor designed for monitoring human motion, and specifically of a sole pressure mapping mat that uses hetero-core fiber optic nerve sensors. In addition to several advantages conferred by the use of optical fibers, namely, light weight, minimal use of material, and resistance to corrosion and electromagnetic interference, the novel hetero-core optic fiber nerve sensor is sensitive to the bending action of the hetero-core portion, and its fiber transmission line is unaffected by external disturbances such as pressure and temperature fluctuations owing to its single-mode stable propagation scheme. Therefore, the hetero-core fiber optic nerve sensor shows potential application for the distributed pressure sensing of natural human activities and for installation at various sites. Here, we successfully demonstrate the use of a distributed pressure sensing mat using hetero-core nerve sensors in detecting human activities in a bathroom by monitoring the motions of walking and falling and by sole pressure mapping.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This research was partially supported by the “Collaboration with Local Communities” Project for Private Universities on the “Development of Ubiquitous Monitoring Network Based on Distributed Sensor Nodes Using Local Positioning/Optical Sensory Nerves and their Industrial Applications” and a matching fund subsidy from MEXT (The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan), 2006–2010.