To help fitness enthusiasts, professional athletes, sports teams, and healthcare service recipients assess physical activity, we propose an electromyography (EMG) compression suit fitted with textile-embedded dry-contact surface electrode sensors. The ensemble assesses skeletal muscle activation timing, estimates force production, and evaluates the degree and rate of muscle fatigue. Unlike commercially available electromyograms that deploy problematic wet surface electrode sensors, the ensemble deploys textile-embedded electrodes that preclude skin irritation, eliminate the knowledge requisite of skeletal muscle topography, and delete the electrical wires that connect electrode sensors and the electromyogram. These refinements allow assessment of skeletal muscle activity without compromising a user’s free range of motion.

The ensemble evaluates physical activity and physiological conditions by performing a series of assessments. A series of sensors and a smart device evaluate and record the electrical activity of skeletal muscles to assess skeletal muscle health, energy expenditure, and level of exertion. The confluence also monitors a user’s heart rate using heart monitor technology, evaluates a user’s posture using motion sensor technology, evaluates a user’s body composition using bioelectrical impedance, monitors a user’s sleep patterns using accelerometers, and measures a user’s weight with load cells. The Android-compatible and iOS-compatible smart device application collects the data to track a user’s physical activity and provide the user real-time feedback. This capability allows gym enthusiasts to optimize their workouts. This capability allows professional athletes to make performance-enhancing adjustments. Moreover, this capability allows sports teams to assess performance and progress in real time. This capability allows medical professionals to monitor and assess patient health and patient progress. To supplement the capabilities of the suit, the smart compression apparel effortlessly syncs with third-party fitness applications.

The electromyography suit falls under the consumer product technology area. Specifically, it occupies the wearable technology category. The ensemble hybridizes an electrodiagnostic medicine technique with compression apparel to create a wearable technology that allows athletes to scientifically assess athletic performance, optimize body conditioning, recognize topical physical limitations, and speed-up periods of physical recovery. The ensemble’s simplicity and user-friendly interface allows any individual interested in biometrics to take advantage of the ensemble’s potential.

The suit will target three markets. Professional athletes, novice athletes, and fitness enthusiasts compromise the first market. These consumers will use the ensemble to scientifically assess athletic performance, optimize body conditioning, recognize topical physical limitations, and speed-up periods of recovery. Medical professionals, personnel currently investigating skeletal muscle atrophy, and aerospace companies hoping to assess astronaut health during spaceflights comprise the second market. These consumers will use the ensemble to assess skeletal muscle health and atrophy. Roboticists will comprise the third market. These consumers will use the ensemble’s ability to function as a gesture-based human-robot interface to translate electrical activity from forearm muscles into robot commands.