Traction identifier for shoes-uEMO

• Main Authors: Bulilan, Peter Joseph O., Gratela, Rhalph Nino M., Omes, Nadine E., Vy, Wenzel Kayne Y.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2009
• Subjects: Shoes; Shoes > Design; Shoes > Fitting; Accelerometers; Tactile sensors; Programmable controllers
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/14484
• Institution: De La Salle University

The advent of new microcontrollers today allowed for the application of solutions that were previously thought to be impossible or impractical for typical everyday users choosing the right footwear for an appropriate occasion can be as simple as choosing between rubber and leather shoes, to more complications, such as choosing between ballroom shoes and driving shoes. Carrying a different shoe for each task can be inconvenient. uEMO is a shoe developed to identify the user's contact surface and the kind of activity being performed by using accelerometers, force sensors and microcontroller technologies. In order to interpret data fuzzy logic is used as basis for classifying both user motion (i.e. running and walking) and surface condition (i.e. no slip, micro slip, slide and slip). This system accepts input from the force switches and accelerometer attached to the shoe and sends it to a PIC16F877A. The PIC16F877A's primary work is to process the data to determine user motion, tilt, and slip. This data is used to identify optimum traction. Feedback in the form of a recommended traction level will be given to the user by comparing slip data. Lastly, the relevant step characteristics as well as its derivatives are stored in a memory card for further study and verification. uEMO determines the step, contact and slip for each motion of the user. The data shows that walking and running can be identified by using step and contact time as basis while jumping can be identified by using the difference between the horizontal and vertical outputs of the accelerometer. In addition, the degree of risk from slippage can be measured by the use of slip time and slip distance, through an accelerometer, as slip is indirectly proportional to traction with a higher traction having a lower slip distance over time. Overall the system is capable of determining the appropriate traction with SCOF values ranging from 0.31 to 0.68 for marble, wood, vinyl, ceramic and rubber surfaces to prevent slip and foot fixation during walk, run and jump activities.