Date of Graduation

12-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Computer Science and Computer Engineering

Advisor/Mentor

Alexander Nelson

Committee Member

Alexander Nelson

Second Committee Member

Alejandro Martin Gomez

Third Committee Member

Chris Farnell

Abstract

Physical therapy requires patients to perform repeated actions to achieve meaningful results in rehabilitation. This thesis explores production methods and various sensor systems by utilizing rapid prototyping, inertial measurement units (IMUs), and capacitive sensor arrays (CSAs). CSAs can be made from a wide ar- ray of materials and techniques including 3d printing and laser ablation–to rapidly create CSAs that can be custom fit to enable proximity, force, and touch detection. IMU and CSA systems individually are able to track upper limb movements, ges- tures, and positions. This combination of sensors enables accurate upper limb pos- ture estimation of patients. This thesis delves into the production considerations, individual system constructions, proposed unified system, and accuracy evaluation of the system. It examines the system manufacture, functionality, usability, and data performance characteristics, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages presented by IMU and CSA based systems. Through analysis and discussion, this research contributes to the design of camera-free sensor systems for tracking patient movement and rehabilitation, leading the way in upper limb movement tracking using other sensors.

Keywords

Sensor Fusion; Capacitive Sensor Array; Inertial Measurement Unit; Upper Limb Posture Estimation; Additive Manufacturing

Download

Share

COinS