Reflection

After researching and designing the pressure matrix, I am more confident that it is feasible, and I am now aware of some sticking points that I will need to watch out for (residue from the piezo-resistive fabric and pressure readings that are not isolated to the point where pressure is applied). 

However, I also have several new questions that I will need to answer as I start prototyping with the material:

• How much does the fabric's resistance change when the brace's average pressure is applied? This will change how we measure the resistance.
  
• Will a sensor with a large area have any strange, unexpected issues? Sometimes scaling up from a small sample to a full sized prototype introduces issues. I don't know if the long conductive thread runs along the conductive fabric will make the sensor more/less sensitive or cause other unintended consequences due to large contact area with the fabric. One likely issue is that points in the center of the pressure matrix will have a different values with no pressure applied than points on the edge of the fabric. Thus, this will need to be accounted for with a calibration procedure. 
• Will the conductive thread be uncomfortable? Even thought the conductive thread will have at least one layer of normal fabric between it and the patient's body, the pressure applied to the brace, may cause even the small stitching of the conductive thread to cause irritation.