Thoracic Posture measure Wearable based on Acceleration Sensor (MPU-6050) and the Cobb-Lippman angle

The rise of remote work has led to prolonged periods of sitting, contributing to poor posture and musculoskeletal problems, especially in the thoracic region. This project presents the development of a wearable vest designed to monitor and prevent thoracic kyphosis by measuring the spinal tilt angles. Using an MPU-6050 accelerometer, the system calculates the tilt angle based on gravitational force, similar to the Cobb-Lippman angle used in medical practice. The vest integrates an ESP32 microcontroller to process the sensor data and transmit real-time posture monitoring results to a visualization system based on Python. This real-time feedback system aims to improve postural awareness and reduce the risk of spinal deformities associated with poor posture. The angular accuracy of the MPU-6050 sensor was evaluated by comparing its measurements of kyphotic angles to reference values obtained using the Cobb–Lippman method. These results confirm that the prototype is capable of detecting kyphotic angles greater than 40° with an angular deviation of less than ±2°, validating its effectiveness for clinical and ergonomic posture assessment.