Can fabric sensors monitor breast motion?

To establish whether conducting polymer-coated fabric sensors could be used to monitor breast motion, vertical breast motion of two large breasted women (C + bra cup) was simultaneously monitored using an OPTOTRAK((R)) 3020 motion analysis system (200 Hz) and polymer-coated fabric sensors linked to a custom-made Bluetooth telemetry system (100 Hz) as the subjects walked and ran on a treadmill (7-10 km h(-1)). Sensor strain, change in resistance and vertical breast displacement relative to trunk movement were output for analysis. It was concluded that, although polymer-coated fabric sensors may exhibit a small response lag due to textile geometry changes, they were able to accurately and reliably represent changes in the amplitude of vertical breast displacement during treadmill gait. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.