ShrewdShoe, a smart pressure sensitive wearable platform

Abstract

This study introduces a wearable in-shoe system for real-time monitoring and measurement of plantar pressure distribution of the foot using eleven sensing elements. The sensing elements utilized in ShrewdShoe have been designed in an innovative way, they are based on a barometric pressure sensor covered with a silicon coating. The presented sensing element has a great linearity up to 300 N and is very durable. It can withstand excessive burst pressures without any damage. This makes ShrewdShoe applicable in a variety of fields such as gait analysis, activity analysis, sports performance optimization, and detection of gait disorders. ShrewdShoe comes with a built-in IoT (Internet of things) module in order to wirelessly communicate with a PC or smartphone. Due to its low cost and durability it can be used for everyday wear in order to continuously acquire data. Plantar pressure distribution of the foot maps have been constructed based on obtained data and used for a preliminary validation of sensor readings.