Development of instrumented shoes for motion analysis

• Main Author: Liew, Eugene Seng Yong.
• Other Authors: Yeo Song Huat
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/53965
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The report is on the design of a pair of instrumented shoes with the ability to measure ground reaction forces and locate foot orientation for gait analysis. The design of the instrumented shoes places a large emphasis on flexibility, durability and comfort. In the project, force-sensing resistors (FSRs) are utilized to accurately measure the ground reaction forces between vital regions of the foot and the ground without interfering with manual dexterity or range of motion. The vital regions include the heel, side and toes of the foot. Signals from the FSRs are processed by a microcontroller and transmitted via wireless connection to the laptop for data logging. Several unique pressure-time profiles based on the output signals of the FSRs are analyzed for different motions which can be especially useful in the design of rehabilitation programs for restoring lower limb movements. The results achieved by the instrumented shoes have proven to be valuable in research areas such as biomechanics or biomedical sciences. For future developments, one can design and construct a program to teach through these instrumented shoes in combination with Inertia Measurement Unit (IMU) sensors.