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Body Sensor Networks and Wearable Technologies

Group Leader

Reuben F. Burch V, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Industrial & Systems Engineering

Purpose

The purpose of this working group is two-fold: (1) To pursue research specific to body sensor networks (BSNs) and wearable technology within multiple business domains including but not limited to: repetitive motion tasks in package handling and manufacturing industries, athletics and sports motion, telemedicine, “prehab” and other physical therapy rehabilitation areas, military, and insurance. (2) To pursue studies in human performance and “athlete engineering” where golden standard equipment from the laboratory such as motion capture, force plates, wireless electromyography, swing analysis software, and more can be used to validate existing wearables solutions as well as aid in the invention of new solutions.

Through this working group, a strong research partnership has been created between multiple disciplines, multiple colleges, multiple research centers, and multiple sports teams from the athletics department all across MSU. This diverse team continues to partner together to win grants, publish journal articles, upgrade lab equipment, fund student pipelines for growing wearable technology knowledge, generate intellectual property, and solve problems that aid in health and safety decision making.

Intent

The intent of this working group is to establish MSU as a formidable organization and leader in the wearable technology space because our academic-athletics partnership rivals anyone else at the collegiate level of competition. Our goal is to create a collaborative portfolio that can be used to demonstrate our unique combination of expertise in order to attract both traditional, competitive funding as well as non-traditional sponsorships from human performance companies who understand the value of the experience we offer. This working group has many of the pieces in place to do something truly unique, that tells a very positive story, and that can get donors of all types excited about how MSU is simply doing something better than everyone else in a realm or research that all alumni can proudly stand behind.