Skin-voltage measurements in the form of EKG, EMG, EOG, and many others, are some of the most non-invasive yet direct measurements of a person's health. Measurements from the eyes, muscles, and heart can be directly correlated to a user’s awareness and fatigue levels which are critical to uncover during stressful environments for combatants, healthcare workers, and patients. Nextiles is addressing the portability, comfortability, and cost requirements to provide such a solution by developing fabric-based EXG electrodes that can be modularity sewn and placed in a variety of garment types. These EXG electrodes are engineered conductive fabrics which are high-bandwidth and noise-canceling signal carriers of small voltage, current, resistive, and capacitive measurements. More so, the fabric form-factor allows the material to remain comfortable, conformable to the skin, durable in stressful and environmentally hostile environments, and ultimately machine-washable. These EXG electrodes are cut-and-sewn like any traditional textile into garments that lend themselves to EKG, EMG, and EOG sensing such as vests, sleeves, and goggles, respectively. With Nextiles patented construction and connector technology, these sensors are consolidated into a small circuit with an embedded battery and bluetooth device to relay information to a wireless receiver or information can be locally stored in-garment. With improved wearability and ease of capturing physiological data, Nextiles is working with partners to develop algorithms and models to better monitor cognitive load, awareness, and decision making for those in highly demanding environments.
