DEVELOPMENT OF FOOT FORCE SENSOR WITH TELEMETRY

THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP AND TEST A FOOT FORCE SENSOR WITH TELEMETRY (FFST) SYSTEM TO ACQUIRE, PROCESS AND TRANSMIT FOOT-FLOR INFORMATION DURING HUMAN STANDING, LOCOMOTION, STAIR CLIMBING AND STAIR DESCENT. THIS PORTABLE SYSTEM IS INTENDED FOR AMBULATORY USE. IT WILL MEASURE FOOT CONTACT OCCURRENCE, THE APPROXIMATE WEIGHT ON EACH FOOT, AND FORCES ON EACH FOOT (AS A FUNCTION OF TIME), USING A SET OF FOUR THICK-FILM FORCE SENSORS AND THREE SWITCHES (FOR EACH FOOT), MOUNTED IN MULTI-LAYER SHOE INSOLES. THIS INFORMATION WILL BE TRANSMITTED FROM SMALL, BATTERY POWERED DEVICES MOUNTED ON EACH SHOE TO A BELT-MOUNTED PROCESSOR WHERE THE CENTER-OF-PRESSURE ON EACH FOOT WILL BE CALCULATED. THE ENTIRE DEVICE WILL BE SMALL, LIGHTWEIGHT AND COSMETICALLY UNOBTRUSIVE. THE WORK IS A SYSTEM INTEGRATION PROJECT. THE CRITICAL PARTS OF ALL THE SUBSYSTEMS ARE AVAILABLE. THE MAJOR INTENDED APPLICATION IS FOR MOTOR NEUROPROSTHESES FOR RESTORATION IF LOWER EXTREMITY FUNCTION IN PARALYZED INDIVIDUALS. IT WILL BE USEFUL FOR PROVIDING AN INDIVIDUAL HAVING INSENSATE FEET WITH SUBSTITUTE SENSORY INFORMATION REGARDING FOOT-FLOOR INTERACTIONS, TO PROVIDE DATA FOR PARTIAL GAIT ANALYSIS AND DIAGNOSIS, AND IN SPORTS ANALYSIS.