Smart Tape

• Angelica Smith
• Ben Mcclerklin
• Tina Trinh
• Hita Patel
• Nathaniel Jesko

Wrist injuries often occur in tennis players due to improper form. Such injuries can result in the athlete needing medical treatment and/or time off from playing. Current methods for treating wrist injuries usually occur post-injury through the use of kinesio tape or surgical procedures. However, prevention of the injury would be more meaningful as it would save the athlete time and money. Our design, Smart Tape, is a means to prevent wrist injuries from occurring by monitoring athletes’ wrist movement during practice and providing a vibrational feedback immediately after the wrist is hyperflexed. Additionally, Smart Tape utilizes a stretch sensor, embedded between two layers of kinesio tape, that measures the wrist when it reaches the point of hyperflexion. One end of the sensor is anchored at the wrist and extends down the length of the user’s forearm where it connects to a voltage divider circuit. Once the sensor measures hyperflexion, the mini vibrating motor disc activates. After the user feels this vibration, they should correct their improper form by returning to a state where the wrist is not hyperflexed. When the wrist is no longer hyperflexed, the vibration stops until the threshold of hyperflexion is reached again during gameplay. Smart Tape will be used as a means of preventative medicine and will decrease the risk of rehabilitation of the wrist.