Interconnected Wearable Sensors for People Living with Paralysis

Lab of Things (LoT), developed by Microsoft Research, is a flexible platform for experimental research that uses connected devices in homes and beyond. A multi-disciplinary team from the University of Maryland uses the Lab of Things as the platform to interconnect wearable sensors like gloves, headbands, and capacitive sensors built into clothing, bedsheets, and wheelchair pads. These sensors capture and monitor subtle motions such as finger twitching, lower arm rotation, and head movements among paralysis patients, with the ultimate goal of providing these individuals the ability to control appliances in caregiving and home settings.