Reinventing Scoliosis Care

Scoliosis is defined as the condition where the spine twists and curves to the side. The curve can be stable or worsen over time. Mild cases typically do not cause problems, but the condition can worsen and eventually affect movement and breathing. Scoliosis most commonly appears among adolescents between ages ten and twenty. The cause of scoliosis is unknown. It can sometimes appear due to other conditions such as cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy. Oftentimes, treatment is uncessary. However, some may need to wear a brace to stop their condition from worsening. Other treatment includes exercises and surgery. The best way to deal with scoliosis is to detect it early on, and take the necessary preventatives.

Our wearable sensor is a harness with a device on each shoulder. Each device is a container that contains an arduino circuit with a MPU6050 gyroscope. Our sensor takes data from the tilts of each shoulder to detect early symptoms of scoliosis. The device connects with the website on an electronic through bluetooth. The data is sent to an online database, and eventually gets processed for interpretation. The sensor is designed to be worn over long periods of time, and will inform the user when their symptoms indicate signs of early scoliosis, and that they should seek further medical advice.