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1 – 10 of 585Congcong Zhou, Chunlong Tu, Jian Tian, Jingjie Feng, Yun Gao and Xuesong Ye
The purpose of this paper is to design a low-power human physiological parameters monitoring system which can monitor six vital parameters simultaneously based on wearable body…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to design a low-power human physiological parameters monitoring system which can monitor six vital parameters simultaneously based on wearable body sensor network.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents a low-power multiple physiological parameters monitoring system (MPMS) which comprises four subsystems. These are: electrocardiogram (ECG)/respiration (RESP) parameters monitoring subsystem with embedded algorithms; blood oxygen (SpO2)/pulse rate (PR)/body temperature (BT)/blood pressure (BP) parameters monitoring subsystem with embedded algorithms; main control subsystem which is in charge of system-level power management, communication and interaction design; and upper computer software subsystem which manipulates system function and analyzes data.
Findings
Results have successfully demonstrated monitoring human ECG, RESP, PR, SpO2, BP and BT simultaneously using the MPMS device. In addition, the power reduction technique developed in this work at the physical/hardware level is effective. Reliability of algorithms developed for monitoring these parameters is assessed by Fluke Prosim8 Vital Signs Simulators (produced by Fluke Corp. USA).
Practical implications
The MPMS device provides long-term health monitoring without interference from normal personal activities, which potentially allows applications in real-time daily healthcare monitoring, chronic diseases monitoring, elderly monitoring, human emotions recognization and so on.
Originality/value
First, a power reduction technique at the physical/hardware level is designed to realize low power consumption. Second, the proposed MPMS device enables simultaneously monitoring six key parameters. Third, unlike most monitoring systems in bulk size, the proposed system is much smaller (118 × 58 × 18.5 mm3, 140 g total weight). In addition, a comfortable smart shirt is fabricated to accommodate the portable device, offering reliable measurements.
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The purpose of this paper is to investigate physicians' attitudes toward smart fabric medical innovation and more specifically to examine how perceived ease of use and perceived…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate physicians' attitudes toward smart fabric medical innovation and more specifically to examine how perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness affect physicians' attitudes and intention to use smart fabric technology.
Design/methodology/approach
Data for this study were collected using a web‐based survey instrument delivered via email to a randomly selected group of physicians (n=207) responses with no missing data). Physicians were chosen because physicians' acceptance is key to social acceptance of smart medical innovations, whether as an instrument to further their efforts to monitor patients through telemedicine or to expand their diagnostic capabilities.
Findings
Significant effects were found for the direct relationships between attitude and intention to use and between perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. However, the relationships between attitude on intention to use, perceived usefulness on intention to use and perceived ease of use on perceived usefulness were not statistically significant.
Originality/value
Smart fabric technology is a recent development that has received widespread attention in textile industry publications as well as consumer market publications, but relatively little in medical journals. Even though many of the applications are still limited to military situations, the diffusion of these “smart” innovations into mainstream markets has the potential to significantly impact numerous lives. This is especially true for smart fabrics that have been developed for medical markets because these innovations have the potential to save lives, alter the way physicians practice and impact significantly the quality of care provided to patients.
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The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of brand and message framing on consumers’ evaluations and purchase intentions of smart health-care clothing. The study also…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of brand and message framing on consumers’ evaluations and purchase intentions of smart health-care clothing. The study also examines the mediating effect of consumers’ evaluations on the effects of the brand and message framing on purchase intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
Through an experimental approach, a total of 240 US consumers’ evaluation of smart health-care clothing is compared according to the existence of a well-known brand (vs. none) and message framing (technology-focused vs. fashion-focused).
Findings
The results show that consumer evaluation of smart health-care clothing is higher when the product is from a well-known brand, where consumers’ fashion consciousness and health consciousness positively influence such an evaluation as covariates. Message framing, however, did not have an influence that revealed any significant difference between technology-focused and fashion-focused messages. The consumer’s evaluation of smart health-care clothing eventually increased their purchase intentions and mediated the effects of brand on purchase intentions.
Originality/value
Smart health-care clothing refers to clothing that measures, records and manages the user’s activity and health status through conductive fibers or sensors that are woven in the clothes. Despite its benefits, smart health-care clothing is still not widely adopted among consumers, except for a few successful examples. Closing this gap, the results of this study provide implications regarding whether and how brand and message framing maximize consumers’ evaluations toward smart health-care clothing, which the developers and marketers of such products can use to increase the product’s market penetration.
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Roberta Sebastiani and Alessia Anzivino
This paper aims to investigate the eHealth ecosystem’s evolution during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its effects on the progression of care for patients…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the eHealth ecosystem’s evolution during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its effects on the progression of care for patients with chronic cardiovascular disease.
Design/methodology/approach
To attain the aim of the study, this study chose to adopt a qualitative method that matches the complexity of the issue. The study was conducted in a real context through 44 face-to-face semi-structured interviews of key informants at different levels of the Italian eHealth service ecosystem, via Microsoft Teams. The interviews were carried out from June 2020 to January 2021. In this research, we adopted an abductive approach that enabled a process where the theoretical framework and the data analysis evolved at the same time.
Findings
The study results were used to develop a conceptual framework that considers the key factors enabling and constraining the evolutionary process of the eHealth service ecosystem. In particular, the drivers that emerged from the study were actor role empowerment, actor–network engagement and resource reconfiguration while the inhibitors were inter- and intra-actor misalignment, resource myopia and the platformisation gap. The findings also revealed the pivotal role of the meso level in the development of the eHealth service ecosystem, boosted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Originality/value
By adopting a service ecosystem perspective, this paper contributes, at both a theoretical and a managerial level, to a better understanding of the dynamics related to the diffusion of eHealth. The study identifies the main issues that researchers, managers and policymakers should address to support the evolution of the eHealth service ecosystem, with particular regard to chronic cardiovascular disease.
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S. Lam Po Tang and G. K. Stylios
The paper aims to provide an overview of the area of smart textiles.
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to provide an overview of the area of smart textiles.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper describes and discusses new and developing materials and technologies used in the textile industries.
Findings
Significant progress has been achieved in the area of technical textiles. Fibres, yarns, fabrics and other structures with added‐value functionality have been successfully developed for technical and/or high performance end‐uses. The basic building blocks are already in place in the field of smart textiles and clothing.
Practical implications
As progress in science and engineering research advances, and as the gap between designers and scientists narrows, the area of smart clothing is likely to keep on expanding for the foreseeable future. Growth is predicted to occur in two distinct directions: performance‐driven smart clothing and fashion‐driven smart clothing. There are challenges that have to be addressed.
Originality/value
The paper provides information of value to those interested in the future directions of the textile industry.
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Weizhen Wang, Yukari Nagai, Yuan Fang and Masami Maekawa
The purpose of this paper is to bridge the gap between human emotions and wearable technologies for interactive fashion innovation. To consider the reasons why smart clothing…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to bridge the gap between human emotions and wearable technologies for interactive fashion innovation. To consider the reasons why smart clothing should satisfy the internet of things (IoT) technical functions and human emotional expression simultaneously, to investigate the manner in which artistic design perspectives and engineering methods combined effectively, to explore the R&D elements of future smart clothing based on the IoT technology.
Design/methodology/approach
This study combines artistic design perspectives with information-sensing engineering methods as well as kansei evaluation method. Micro-sensors and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) embedded in couples clothing prototype. The first experiment step in the design and production of prototype clothing, and do the initial emotional evaluation. The second experiment is the comparative evaluation of the prototype and other typical smart clothing.
Findings
The interactive clothing prototype was proven to correlate well with human emotional expressive patterns. The evaluation I indicated the prototype can stimulate the emotional response of the participants to achieve a higher score in the activate sensor state. Evaluation II revealed that in the process of interactive clothing design, the technical functionality should synchronize with the requirements of human emotional expression.
Originality/value
This study builds the research and development theoretical model of interactive clothing that can be integrated into daily smart clothing life design, and analyze the methods and means of blending IoT smart information-sensing technology with emotional design. By means of this experimental demonstration of human-centered interactive clothing design, the authors provide smart clothing 3.0 evolutionary roadmap and propose a new concept of internet of clothes (IoC) for further research reference.
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Lieva Van Langenhove and Carla Hertleer
After technical textiles and functional textiles, smart textiles came into force a few years back. The term “smart textiles” covers a broad range. The application possibilities…
Abstract
After technical textiles and functional textiles, smart textiles came into force a few years back. The term “smart textiles” covers a broad range. The application possibilities are only limited by our imagination and creativity. Hence it is not simple for the readers of the many articles that have been published to distinguish where reality ends and where fiction begins. In this paper, it is further explored what smart textiles precisely mean. In a second part, an analysis is made of the possibilities, the state of affairs and the need for further research, including research in the Department of Textiles at the Ghent University (Belgium).
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Adem Karahoca, Dilek Karahoca and Merve Aksöz
The purpose of the study is to investigate critical factors affecting individuals’ intention to adopt internet of things (IoT) products in healthcare.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study is to investigate critical factors affecting individuals’ intention to adopt internet of things (IoT) products in healthcare.
Design/methodology/approach
An integrated model was developed based on technology acceptance model (TAM), innovation diffusion theory (IDT), technological innovativeness (TI), protection motivation theory and privacy calculus theory. The model was tested with 426 respondents (222 females, 204 males) using partial least square structural equation model with all data grouped by gender.
Findings
Based on the results of the complete model, perceived advantage (PA), image and perceived ease of use (PEOU) constructs have a significant effect on intention to adopt IoT healthcare technology products. The results show that for females, compatibility and trialability have more impact on PEOU whereas for males PA has more impact on PEOU. Image, perceived privacy risk, perceived vulnerability have more impact on males when compared to females.
Research limitations/implications
Research conducted only among Turkish people.
Originality/value
This study investigated adoption of future technology, “internet of things”, products in healthcare from a behavioral perspective by integrating various theories. The reason is that before launching any technology into the market, its facilitative factors should be researched for the people who are going to use this in their daily routine.
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Ling Chen, Zhi Su, Xiaotong He, Xiang Chen and Lin Dong
Embroidery as a textile embellishment technique plays an important role in people's daily life. Esthetic embroidery artworks possess cultural values. With the development of…
Abstract
Purpose
Embroidery as a textile embellishment technique plays an important role in people's daily life. Esthetic embroidery artworks possess cultural values. With the development of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), these technologies have been studied and applied in the embroidery process. This study aims to survey how these technologies facilitate embroidery from different aspects.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper surveys how the technologies of robotics and AI are applied in the embroidery field. The applications are mainly reviewed from three aspects: computerized robotic embroidery systems has been widely used for the mass production of embroidered textiles, the advanced technological systems and techniques have greatly facilitated the development of smart textiles and the artificial intelligence plays an important role in the inheritance, innovation and protection of traditional handicraft artwork of embroidery.
Findings
The programmable robotic embroidery machines have greatly improved the production efficiency of embroidered textiles and promoted the development of electronic textiles. The AI, mainly the deep learning technology, brings significant benefits to esthetic embroidery creation. Technology-based embroidery has become a hot research topic in the field of textiles.
Originality/value
This paper summarizes the application of robotics and AI technologies in the field of embroidery, which provides readers a comprehensive and systematic understanding about the research progress of modern technology-oriented embroidery. This helps readers gain inspiration from the technology perspectives.
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Rapid advances in technology have conferred vast benefits upon modern societies. Money can be transferred by wire in an instant. The internet has dispensed with the need to send…
Abstract
Rapid advances in technology have conferred vast benefits upon modern societies. Money can be transferred by wire in an instant. The internet has dispensed with the need to send faxes across telephone wires. The days when it was necessary to carry multiple currencies across the international borders have all but disappeared. The day is fast approaching when societies will be cashless and people will be able to carry so‐called smart cards that contain all of their funds in the form of electronic cash. Smart cards have the technical ability to facilitate transfers of electronic cash from one smart card to another. Electronic cash can be used to shop on the internet and even gamble there. The shares of a company can be bought and sold on multiple stock exchanges through electronic cash transactions. When a London stock exchange is closed, for example, a person in the UK might transmit electronic cash to New York and buy publicly traded shares because the stock exchanges in New York will be open. If a citizen of one country loses faith in the national currency, he might use an electronic cash transaction to convert his assets into the stronger currency of another country in a foreign bank account. The examples of how modern technology will continue to benefit us are numerous.