• HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
BIOENGINEER.ORG
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
No Result
View All Result
Bioengineer.org
No Result
View All Result
Home NEWS Science News

How kirigami can help us study the muscular activity of athletes

Bioengineer by Bioengineer
February 12, 2020
in Science News
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
ADVERTISEMENT
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram

IMAGE

Credit: Waseda University

The upcoming Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020 represent a big opportunity for governments to promote a healthy lifestyle and sports, and the turn of the decade is a great opportunity to showcase how recent technological developments can be used to help us understand human motion during sports. In this regard, the combination of high-speed cameras and surface electromyographic sensors, which record the electromyographic activity of palm muscles, has been employed to obtain a better understanding on the fine control athletes and sportspeople exert on their palm muscles.

However, conventional devices for surface electromyography employ small electrodes that are attached to the skin and wires, which restrict free movement. All-in-one modules containing electrodes, amplifiers, and wireless transmitters help to solve this issue only to some extent; these modules are not suitable for certain parts of the body, like the palms or soles. During pitching in baseball, for example, the ball is in direct contact with palm muscles, and integrated modules cannot be employed without being a nuisance to the user. Even if skin-like electrodes were used, the high forces and friction involved would break them apart. This has limited electromyographic studies to other parts of the arms and legs.

To address this problem, a joint research team from Waseda University and Kitasato University, Japan drew inspiration from a traditional Japanese artform called kirigami, to prepare a durable skin-like patch for measuring the electromyographic activity of palm muscles, and have published their findings in NPG Asia Materials. Unlike the better-known origami, kirigami crafts contain both paper folds and cuts. Interestingly, it is possible to employ kirigami technique to create ultrathin insulated conductive sheets that are also largely bendable and stretchable. “By cutting a conductive sheet in a special kirigami pattern and sealing it with silicone rubber, we have managed to create elastic and insulated wirings that minimized the mechanical mismatch between skin and device during exercise,” reports Dr. Kento Yamagishi from Waseda University (Currently, Singapore University of Technology and Design), the lead author of the paper. These wires were combined with another of their previous inventions – conductive nanosheets that can be used on the palm or soles without problems.

These two devices together form an elastic kirigami patch that can capture electromyographic signals in difficult areas and carry them to a Bluetooth device placed in a less-obtrusive zone, such as the forearm. The research team tested their invention by measuring electromyographic signals from one of the palm muscles of an experienced baseball player when throwing curveballs and fastballs, finding significant differences between both types of throw. “Our elastic kirigami patch will serve as a minimally perceivable device to investigate the activity of the palm muscles of athletes without interfering with their performance,” remarks Assist. Prof. Tomoyuki Nagmi of Kitasato University. “This surface electromyographic measurement system will enable the analysis of motion in unexplored palm muscle areas, leading to a better understanding of muscular activity in a wide range of sports and even artistic or musical performances,” Assoc. Prof. Toshinori Fujie of Waseda University (Currently, Tokyo Institute of Technology), who led the research, concludes. There are also potential applications in medical research for currently unexplainable motor disorders, such as the yips. It is clear that a better understanding of our own bodies during exercise could help us perform better and lead a healthier lifestyle.

###

Reference

Title of original article: Elastic kirigami patch for electromyographic analysis of the palm muscle during baseball pitching

Authors: Kento Yamagishi, Takenori Nakanishi, Sho Mihara, Masaru Azuma, Shinji Takeoka, Kazuyuki Kanosue, Tomoyuki Nagami & Toshinori Fujie

DOI: 10.1038/s41427-019-0183-1

Journal: NPG Asia Materials

Media Contact
Jasper Lam
[email protected]

Original Source

https://www.waseda.jp/top/en/news/73300

Related Journal Article

http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41427-019-0183-1

Tags: Electrical Engineering/ElectronicsTechnology/Engineering/Computer Science
Share12Tweet8Share2ShareShareShare2

Related Posts

di Bernardo's team at TIGEM

ERC Grants €2.5 Million to TIGEM Researcher for Advancing Programmable Genetic Circuits

June 17, 2025
blank

Unlocking Epigenetic Secrets of Newborn Pulmonary Hypertension

June 17, 2025

Breakthroughs in Science Unlock Treatments for the Most Challenging Bladder Cancers

June 17, 2025

Tarantulas Adapt Remarkably: Continue Running Despite Losing Two Legs

June 17, 2025
Please login to join discussion

POPULAR NEWS

  • Green brake lights in the front could reduce accidents

    Study from TU Graz Reveals Front Brake Lights Could Drastically Diminish Road Accident Rates

    159 shares
    Share 64 Tweet 40
  • New Study Uncovers Unexpected Side Effects of High-Dose Radiation Therapy

    76 shares
    Share 30 Tweet 19
  • Pancreatic Cancer Vaccines Eradicate Disease in Preclinical Studies

    70 shares
    Share 28 Tweet 18
  • How Scientists Unraveled the Mystery Behind the Gigantic Size of Extinct Ground Sloths—and What Led to Their Demise

    65 shares
    Share 26 Tweet 16

About

We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Follow us

Recent News

ERC Grants €2.5 Million to TIGEM Researcher for Advancing Programmable Genetic Circuits

Unlocking Epigenetic Secrets of Newborn Pulmonary Hypertension

Breakthroughs in Science Unlock Treatments for the Most Challenging Bladder Cancers

  • Contact Us

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home Page 1
    • Home Page 2
  • News
  • National
  • Business
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.