LLUME

Using fiber optics to measure movement and performance

(Previously Organic Robotics Corporation)

LLUME, a spin-out company from the Cornell University Organic Robotics Lab, is using fiber optics to measure movement and chest expansion in order to monitor fatigue, recovery, and performance in athletes and other users. LLUME’s Light Lace™ is a stretchable, wearable smart material that can sense its own shape and measure pressure on its surface. This fabric is currently being tested as an “artificial skin” for robots, providing them with both touch-sensitivity as well as feedback on how the robot’s limbs are positioned in space. Further commercial applications include smart garments that can improve competitive performance in athletics, create a sense of body awareness in a virtual environment, or monitor pressure ulcers from peripheral neuropathy that could lead to amputation.