Implementation of a Wearable Sensor for Breathing Monitoring

Abstract

Advancements in electronic textiles and flexible electronics have significantly enhanced tools for monitoring and improving quality of life. Among these innovations, resistive fabric has emerged as a valuable component in biomedical engineering due to its sensitivity to deformation. This work presents the development and evaluation of a wearable sensor utilizing conductive textile as a piezoresistive material for respiratory monitoring. The sensor, embedded in a chest band, measures breathing patterns by detecting voltage peaks associated with inhalation and exhalation. We detail the characterization of the conductive fabric, including resistance measurements and signal conditioning. To validate the performance of the textile-based sensor, we compared its readings with those from an inertial sensor (MPU6050). Both sensors were interfaced with Arduino and Simulink to enable parallel measurement of acceleration and voltage responses. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of the conductive textile sensor in capturing accurate respiratory signals, offering a practical and comfortable solution for continuous breathing pattern analysis.