C. R. Taylor, S. S. Srinivasan, S. H. Yeon, M. K. O'Donnell, T. J. Roberts, H. M. Herr, Magnetomicrometry, Sci.Robot. 6, eabg0656 (2021), DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.abg0656

Abstract

We live in an era of wearable sensing, where our movement through the world can be continuously monitored by devices. Yet, we lack a portable sensor that can continuously monitor muscle, tendon, and bone motion, allowing us to monitor performance, deliver targeted rehabilitation, and provide intuitive, reflexive control over prostheses and exoskeletons. Here, we introduce a sensing modality, magnetomicrometry, that uses the relative positions of implanted magnetic beads to enable wireless tracking of tissue length changes. We demonstrate real-time muscle length tracking in an in vivo turkey model via chronically implanted magnetic beads while investigating accuracy, biocompatibility, and long-term implant stability. We anticipate that this tool will lay the groundwork for volitional control over wearable robots via real-time tracking of muscle lengths and speeds. Further, to inform future biomimetic control strategies, magnetomicrometry may also be used in the in vivo tracking of biological tissues to elucidate biomechanical principles of animal and human movement. 

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