Meet the Creative Tech: Pablo Argote
Pablo Argote is a Researcher and Creative Technologist who is currently an MRI Researcher at CU Boulder. His work has been primarily focused in the areas of biomechanics and medical devices, as well as biomedical wearables. During his time as a LOOMIA Creative Tech Resident, Pablo made a Muscle Activity Monitor wearable using our 4-wire bus Parts. Read on to find out more about Pablo and his helpful wearable device.
Q: What is your background in design, creative technology, wearables, etc?
My creative technology endeavors sparked from when I competed in the 3rd grade science fair, proposing a magnetically-guided self-making bed. From this point on, ideating, tinkering and creating were my driving forces. I was able to express my creativity the most throughout my undergraduate education at Purdue University, where I graduated with Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering with a focus in research, electrical engineering and rapid prototyping. The most transformative experiences revolved around bioastronautics, tissue biomechanics, medical devices and electrical power systems. Since then, I dedicated myself to biomedical wearables throughout my time as Co-Founder and CTO at Predictive Wear. Now, I work in MRI research as I complete my Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at CU Boulder.
Q: Where did the idea for the Muscle Activity Monitor come from?
The idea for a muscle activity monitor originated from conversations with my mother who is a nurse and a massage therapist. We were discussing health problems that people have throughout their days that could be prevented with biofeedback, and so we discussed acute and chronic lower back pain. I conducted more research on the anatomy and physiology, origin of the problem and coupled my skills in analog circuits, PCB design and wearables to make an EMG wearable.
Q: What was your favorite part of working with LOOMIA components?
My favorite part of working with LOOMIA components was the ease I had with wire management due to the 4-wire bus components and their flexibility. It allowed for a much more discreet design.
Q: What, if any, challenges did you face while making the monitor and how did you overcome them?
The primary challenge in making the monitor was sewing the clothing item, the conductive fabric electrode pouches, as well as routing all of the components to the central housing unit and discreetly integrating it via the LOOMIA buses.
Q: Who do you see being the end user of this monitor?
I see the end-user of this monitor being anybody who wears compression garments on their body. Since this is a lower-back pain monitoring device, it should be for people who typically experience lower-back pain and would like to identify behaviors that are causing the lower-back pain. Athletes in the realm of body building would also be primary benefactors. Overall, I see the trend of wearables more seamlessly integrating into society as more people discover the benefits of monitoring and biofeedback in their livelihood.
Q: Favorite feature of the monitor?
My favorite feature of the monitor entailed the electrode pouches and the modularity of the LOOMIA components and electrodes. It can be customized to meet the anatomy of different body sizes.
Q: Self-promo time! Where can we find your stuff?
For now, you can learn about me on the following platforms:
Twitter: @pfargoco
IG: @pfargoco