IoT for Muskuloskeletal Injury
Tufts University, 2019
Project Overview
PROBLEM BACKGROUND
In the military, Musculoskeletal Injury (MSI) is responsible for 70% of military medical discharges, surpassing the number of combat-injury related discharges. Military trainees are often required to carry loads of 50 pounds or more while walking for distances sometimes over 10 miles during training. While the intensity of these training missions vary by mission, season, position, and soldier, the load carried over these long distances can wear down the soldier’s bodies, leading to MSI.
Our project aims to create a prototype in which military medics can get real-time data of potential indicators of MSI on their team after each training session and without verbal communication from the trainees.
SOLUTION SPACE
For this project, we designed a prototype solution of an Internet of Things (IoT) system to track and monitor gait and foot pressure data in military trainees. The product has two main components: (1) a sensor-embedded boot for military trainees to wear during training and (2) a web-application that parses and displays the collected data on soldiers for military medics. The sensor-embedded boot includes accelerometers and gyroscopes strapped to the outside of trainee boots and embedded pressure sensors within the boot insoles. The data collected is then processed and displayed in the web-application designed for military medics, allowing medics to view and gain actionable insights on their team members’ musculoskeletal health.
THE TEAM
This project was conducted by an interdisciplinary team of five Tufts University seniors:
-
Haiting Chan (Electrical Computer Engineering)
-
Lena Chang (Human Factors Engineering)
-
Jordan Nagy (Computer Science)
-
Spencer Perry (Computer Science)
-
Ashton Stephens (Electrical Computer Engineering)
Informing Approach
LITERATURE REVIEW
In the military, Musculoskeletal Injury (MSI) is responsible for 70% of military medical discharges, surpassing the number of combat-injury related discharges. Military trainees are often required to carry loads of 50 pounds or more while walking for distances sometimes over 10 miles during training. While the intensity of these training missions vary by mission, season, position, and soldier, the load carried over these long distances can wear down the soldier’s bodies, leading to MSI.
Our project aims to create a prototype in which military medics can get real-time data of potential indicators of MSI on their team after each training session and without verbal communication from the trainees.
USER INTERVIEWS
For this project, we designed a prototype solution of an Internet of Things (IoT) system to track and monitor gait and foot pressure data in military trainees. The product has two main components: (1) a sensor-embedded boot for military trainees to wear during training and (2) a web-application that parses and displays the collected data on soldiers for military medics. The sensor-embedded boot includes accelerometers and gyroscopes strapped to the outside of trainee boots and embedded pressure sensors within the boot insoles. The data collected is then processed and displayed in the web-application designed for military medics, allowing medics to view and gain actionable insights on their team members’ musculoskeletal health.
GUIDING INITIAL PROTOTYPES
USER NEEDS
In the military, Musculoskeletal Injury (MSI) is responsible for 70% of military medical discharges, surpassing the number of combat-injury related discharges. Military trainees are often required to carry loads of 50 pounds or more while walking for distances sometimes over 10 miles during training. While the intensity of these training missions vary by mission, season, position, and soldier, the load carried over these long distances can wear down the soldier’s bodies, leading to MSI.
Our project aims to create a prototype in which military medics can get real-time data of potential indicators of MSI on their team after each training session and without verbal communication from the trainees.
PRODUCT & USER REQUIREMENTS
For this project, we designed a prototype solution of an Internet of Things (IoT) system to track and monitor gait and foot pressure data in military trainees. The product has two main components: (1) a sensor-embedded boot for military trainees to wear during training and (2) a web-application that parses and displays the collected data on soldiers for military medics. The sensor-embedded boot includes accelerometers and gyroscopes strapped to the outside of trainee boots and embedded pressure sensors within the boot insoles. The data collected is then processed and displayed in the web-application designed for military medics, allowing medics to view and gain actionable insights on their team members’ musculoskeletal health.
TASK ANALYSIS
This project was conducted by an interdisciplinary team of five Tufts University seniors:
-
Haiting Chan (Electrical Computer Engineering)
-
Lena Chang (Human Factors Engineering)
-
Jordan Nagy (Computer Science)
-
Spencer Perry (Computer Science)
-
Ashton Stephens (Electrical Computer Engineering)
Prototype Evaluation & Iteration
USABILITY TESTING
In the military, Musculoskeletal Injury (MSI) is responsible for 70% of military medical discharges, surpassing the number of combat-injury related discharges. Military trainees are often required to carry loads of 50 pounds or more while walking for distances sometimes over 10 miles during training. While the intensity of these training missions vary by mission, season, position, and soldier, the load carried over these long distances can wear down the soldier’s bodies, leading to MSI.
Our project aims to create a prototype in which military medics can get real-time data of potential indicators of MSI on their team after each training session and without verbal communication from the trainees.
Results
USABILITY TESTING
In the military, Musculoskeletal Injury (MSI) is responsible for 70% of military medical discharges, surpassing the number of combat-injury related discharges. Military trainees are often required to carry loads of 50 pounds or more while walking for distances sometimes over 10 miles during training. While the intensity of these training missions vary by mission, season, position, and soldier, the load carried over these long distances can wear down the soldier’s bodies, leading to MSI.
Our project aims to create a prototype in which military medics can get real-time data of potential indicators of MSI on their team after each training session and without verbal communication from the trainees.
Reflections
USABILITY TESTING
In the military, Musculoskeletal Injury (MSI) is responsible for 70% of military medical discharges, surpassing the number of combat-injury related discharges. Military trainees are often required to carry loads of 50 pounds or more while walking for distances sometimes over 10 miles during training. While the intensity of these training missions vary by mission, season, position, and soldier, the load carried over these long distances can wear down the soldier’s bodies, leading to MSI.
Our project aims to create a prototype in which military medics can get real-time data of potential indicators of MSI on their team after each training session and without verbal communication from the trainees.