Development of Biometric and Environmental Information Monitoring Technologies using hitoe® Functional Material and Sensor TerminalsPhysical Condition Management Technology using Wearable Biometric and Environmental SensorsNTT Device Innovation Center

By combining clothing utilizing hitoe®, a functional material developed in cooperation with Toray Industries, with sensor terminals that can acquire biological and environmental information, this enables long-term, stable monitoring of biological and environmental data at home, in specialized facilities, or outdoors.
Analysis of the acquired data allows evaluations of activity as well as the thermal burden endured in hot environments.
This technology is expected to see use in a wide variety of fields such as smart healthcare that includes rehabilitation support and physical condition management in hot environments.

Measuring not only biological information, but also information about the nearby environment (temperature and humidity) allows us to provide physical condition management and health care services tailored to individual environments.
To this end, we conducted research and development into wearable biological and environmental sensors capable of acquiring different sensor data over the long term, and into physical condition management technology using these (sensor terminals using this sensor technology are already on the market).
Additionally, introducing this physical condition management technology into businesses requires that we confirm its effectiveness in actual workplaces.

• Reduced burden on users wearing these terminals through size reductions in the sensor terminal and a design using an ergonomic housing
• Introducing sensors that measure temperature and humidity within clothing enable the acquisition of biological and environmental information that matches that environment
• Use of data relay technology using IoT gates enables construction of a system that does not require a smartphone to acquire biological and environmental information
• Analysis of the acquired biological and environmental information allows evaluations of activity levels for patients undergoing rehabilitation, and of their thermal burden in hot environments

• Rehabilitation support system for 24-hour acquisition of patient heart rate and activity data based on electrocardiographic waveform, that visualizes and provides feedback on their activity throughout the day
• Physical condition management system that visualizes the thermal burden of each individual in hot environments, and alerts them through notifications

Attaching wearable biometric and environmental sensors to inner wear that uses functional material hitoe® as an electrode allows constant measurement of biometric information such as heart rate and electrocardiographic waveforms, as well as numbers of steps walked and other physical activity information, along with environmental information such as temperature and humidity inside the clothing. With this, by using technology based on thermal physiology that analyzes data from multiple sensors to estimate temperature changes within the body, we have developed a new physical condition management system that visualizes the thermal burden of each individual and alerts the user. We are conducting large-scale testing in actual workplaces, and have confirmed its effectiveness.

NTT Device Innovation Center – Health&Environmental-Sensing Device Project