Body Pressure Measurement System

BPMS™ measures the pressure distribution of a human body on support surfaces such as seats, mattresses, cushions, and backrests. The thin and conforming sensing mat can measure body pressure distribution with minimal interference of the support surface.

Body pressure distribution on bed

Key Benefits

  • Design optimization
    • Verify comfort
    • Ergonomics
    • Understand body shifts in a static chair or an application with a moving vehicle – ingress/outgress
    • Analyze comfort of different materials for seat design
  • Quality control
  • Competitive benchmarking
  • Marketing tool to demonstrate the comfort of your product
  • Fully conforming sensor available (CONFORMat™) avoids hammocking or measurement of artifact

Key Applications Include:
  • Comfort Testing and Analysis
  • Support Surface Design
    • Shape/contours of seat or backrest
    • Dimensions of seat
    • Firmness and padding
  • Material Testing
  • Durability and Longevity Studies
  • Ingress/Egress Studies
  • Seating and Positioning Research

There have been a number of research projects conducted where Tekscan's pressure measurement technology has played a crucial role. To view the list of these research studies:

Download the bibliography for Pressure Mapping Applications.

 

Sensors - Seating & Mattress

BPMS Sensors

BPMS SensorsBPMS Sensors

  • Features spatial resolutions as fine as one sensing element per square centimeter
  • Contain as many as 2,016 individual sensing elements
  • Multiple mats can be used to cover a surface and provide up to 16,128 sensing elements
  • Thinness enables the user to incorporate it into the application without altering the support surface

CONFORMat Sensors

Pressure sensing cells can be stretchedPressure sensing cells can be stretched

  • Conforms to complex, contoured, and deformable support surfaces like seat cushions
  • Sensor will not capture pressure artifacts, only the loaded area
  • Mat design eliminates sensor hammocking while it conforms to the surface

The BPMS system is built on a "modular" sensor construct concept. This means you can acquire a system in many ways from one pressure sensor up to eight. This allows you to grow your BPMS as your needs expand, thus protecting your initial investment.

 

Seating vs Mattress System Configurations

The system is comprised of data acquisition electronics, sensors, and software. BPMS™ is configured depending on the application and sensor selection which drives the amount of electronics that are needed. This system is compatible with Evolution  and our Versatek electronics. Our qualified engineers will help you select the optimal system configuration to meet your application requirements.

Seating

Body pressure mapping in a seating configurationBody pressure mapping in a seating configuration

Mattress

Body pressure mapping in a mattress configurationBody pressure mapping in a mattress configuration

Seating Pressure Sensor Configurations

System Model

Sensor Model (Qty)

Sensing Area

# of Sensing Elements

Spatial Resolution

Pressure Range

BRE5315-1

5315 (1)

488.7 mm x 426.7 mm
(19.20 in. x 16.80 in.)

2,016

1 Sensel™/cm2
(6.3 Sensels/in2)

34 kPa (5 psi)

BRE5315-2

5315 (2)

488.7 mm x 426.7 mm
(19.20 in. x 16.80 in.)

Two sensors with above dimensions

4,032

 1 Sensel/cm2
(6.3 Sensels/in2)

34 kPa (5 psi)

CER1 (CONFORMat Sensor)

5330 (1)

 471.4 mm x 471.4 mm
(18.56 in. x 18.56 in.)

1,024

0.5 Sensel/cm2
(3.0 Sensels/in2)

34 kPa (5 psi)

CER5331-1 (CONFORMat Sensor)

5331 (1)

707.1 mm x 589.3 mm
(27.84 in. x 23.20 in.)

1,920

0.5 Sensel/cm2
(3.0 Sensels/in2)

34 kPa (5 psi)

CER2 (CONFORMat Sensor)

5330 (2)

471.4 mm x 471.4 mm
(18.56 in. x 18.56 in.)

Two sensors with above dimensions

2,048

0.5 Sensel/cm2
(3.0 Sensels/in2)

34 kPa (5 psi)

CER5331-2 (CONFORMat Sensor)

5331 (2)

707.1 mm x 589.3 mm
(27.84 in. x 23.20 in.)

Two sensors with above dimensions

3,840

0.5 Sensel/cm2 (3.0 Sensels/in2)

34 kPa (5 psi)

CER5330-5331-2 (CONFORMat Sensor)

5330 (1)
5331 (1)

471.4 mm x 471.4 mm
(18.56 in. x 18.56 in.)

707.1 mm x 589.3 mm
(27.84 in. x 23.20 in.)

2,944

0.5 Sensel/cm2
(3.0 Sensels/in2)

34 kPa (5 psi)

BRE5350-1

5350-A (1)

416.6 mm x 386.1 mm
(16.40 in. x 15.20 in.)

1,558

1 Sensel/cm2
(6.3 Sensels/in2)

34 kPa (5 psi)

BRE5350-2

5350-A (2)

416.6 mm x 386.1 mm
(16.40 in. x 15.20 in.)

Two sensors with above dimensions

3,116

1 Sensel/cm2
(6.3 Sensels/in2)

34 kPa (5 psi)

Mattress Pressure Sensor Configurations

System Model

Sensor Model (Qty)

Sensing Area

# of Sensing Elements

Spatial Resolution

Pressure Range

BRE5315-4

5315 (4)

1,950.7 mm x 426.7 mm
(76.80 in. x 16.80 in.)

8,064

1 Sensel/cm2
(6.3 Sensels/in2)

34 kPa (5 psi)

BRE5315-8

5315 (8)

1,950.7 mm x 853.4 mm
(76.80 in. x 33.60 in.)

16,128

1 Sensel/cm2
(6.3 Sensels/in2)

34 kPa (5 psi)

BRE5400-1

5400N (1)

578.0 mm x 884.0 mm
(22.76 in. x 34.80 in.)

1,768

0.3 Sensel/cm2
(2.2 Sensels/in2)

34 kPa (5 psi)

BRE5400-2

5400N (2)

578.0 mm x 1,768.0 mm
(22.76 in. x 69.61 in.)

3,536

0.3 Sensel/cm2
(2.2 Sensels/in2)

34 kPa (5 psi)

HMER3

5400N (3)

1,734.0 mm x 884.0 mm
(68.27 in. x 34.80 in.)

5,304

0.3 Sensel/cm2
(2.2 Sensels/in2)

34 kPa (5 psi)

HMER4

5400N (4)

2,312.0 mm x 884.0 mm
(91.02 in. x 34.80 in.)

7,072

0.3 Sensel/cm2
(2.2 Sensels/in2)

34 kPa (5 psi)

*Components depend on system configuration. Additional items may be included with your system purchase.

View Computer Requirements

 

Data Output & Software Analysis

Key Features:

  • Access real time or recorded data in 2D & 3D
  • Key metrics; total force, peak pressures, and center of force
  • Multiple graph options to plot data
  • View and compare multiple test results simultaneously
  • Ability to attach a digital image to each frame of a Tekscan movie
  • Export data to ASCII or AVI files
 Software Display - Car Seat test: Pressures caused during driving when vehicle bounces, 2D and 3D views of peak pressure, with graph of peak pressure vs. time.Software Display - Car Seat test: Pressures caused during driving when vehicle bounces, 2D and 3D views of peak pressure, with graph of peak pressure vs. time.