What Is TracSil™? A Textile-Based Resistive Sensor for Accurate Wearable Motion Tracking

TracSil™ is a resistive smart textile sensor designed to measure human motion by sensing strain in the fabric. Instead of inferring movement from inertial data, TracSil™ captures deformation directly where joints and muscles move.

This textile-based approach produces body-aligned motion data that can be embedded into garments, rehabilitation systems, and AI-driven motion analysis platforms. Because the sensor is thin, flexible, and washable, it is suited for long-term wearable use in both consumer and clinical environments.

Stretchy Flexible Strain Sensor, for Wearables, TracSil

How TracSil™ Measures Movement

TracSil™ operates on a resistive sensing principle: as the textile stretches or relaxes, its internal conductive network changes electrical resistance in proportion to the deformation. When placed along a joint or muscle line, these resistance changes correlate with joint angles and movement patterns.

By continuously measuring resistance, TracSil™ can detect joint angle changes, quantify range of motion, and track dynamic movement patterns in real time. Because the sensor is integrated into fabric, it moves naturally with the body instead of constraining it, which improves comfort and measurement consistency.

Why Resistive Sensors Are Used in TracSil™

For wearable motion tracking, resistive sensors offer high sensitivity to small strains and relatively simple signal interpretation compared to more complex modalities. A single resistive channel can often map directly to bending or stretching in a specific direction, which simplifies calibration and algorithm design.

Resistive sensing is also less affected by multilayer clothing, ambient humidity, or proximity effects than some capacitive approaches. This robustness makes TracSil™ suitable for large-area sensing on garments and for scenarios where users stack multiple layers of clothing during daily wear.

Applications of TracSil™

TracSil™ is used as the core motion-tracking sensor in smart garments for fitness, sports, and rehabilitation. When integrated into joints such as knees, elbows, or shoulders, it can measure joint angles and detect form deviations during exercise or therapy.

In AI-driven posture and movement assessment, TracSil™ provides continuous, high-resolution motion data that can be processed by machine-learning models. This enables applications such as repetition counting, technique scoring, fatigue monitoring, and personalized coaching in digital health and performance training.

Integration into Smartwear Systems

TracSil™ can be laminated, stitched, or printed directly onto textiles depending on design and manufacturing requirements. Its stretchable construction supports large-area sensing and multi-sensor layouts across different body regions.

When combined with embedded electronics and AI algorithms, TracSil™ enables mapping from fabric strain patterns to interpretable metrics such as joint angles, symmetry, or compensatory movements. This integration makes it possible to deliver real-time feedback through connected devices or companion apps.

TracSil™ as a Scalable Sensor Material

TracSil™ functions as a scalable sensor material platform rather than a single product. It can be adapted across fitness wearables, industrial safety garments, and clinical monitoring systems using the same underlying sensing technology.

As demand for precise yet comfortable motion tracking grows, textile-based sensing solutions like TracSil™ are becoming essential building blocks for next-generation wearable systems. The combination of durability, washability, and high strain-cycle tolerance supports both research prototypes and mass-produced commercial devices.

For complementary bio-signal acquisition capabilities, discover ElecSil™, our conductive silicone dry electrode material for long-term wearable EMG, ECG, and EEG measurement.