VivaBack - Biomechanical Sensor for Measuring the Human Spine

This concept study has the goal to develop a sensor system, which non-intrusively measures the bending of the spine during everyday situations. Within this project a minimal functional prototype was developed, which can record the spine posture and the activities of the user for a complete day.

To achieve this functionality dedicated ultra-flat sensor pads with a height of less than 2mm has been designed in order to allow a seamless measurement also during leaned positions without influencing the behaviour of the user. Additional research has been performed on the design of algorithms that can supress disturbances and measurement artefacts and detect common activity patterns such as sitting, lying or walking of ie for a sensor to measure and monitor the bending of the human spine.

The project has been sucessfully completed and a modified device is already uses in the area of occupational medicine.

** This project is executed within the innovation check programme of the FFG.