A novel method for measuring in-shoe navicular drop during gait

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Biomedical Engineering
• Sports Science

Background:

• Foot movement analysis is crucial for diagnosing and preventing foot disorders.
• In-shoe measurement of foot dynamics during activities like sports can enhance clinical diagnostics.
• Navicular drop is a recognized metric for assessing foot motion and arch stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a thin, flexible, and robust capacitive strain sensor for in-shoe navicular drop measurement.
• To determine optimal sensor placement for accurate foot movement analysis.
• To validate the sensor's performance against a gold-standard video-based system.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel capacitive strain sensor designed for in-shoe application.
• Optimization of sensor positioning on the foot for maximal signal fidelity.
• Comparative analysis using a video-based motion capture system tracking markers on the bare foot.

Main Results:

• The developed strain sensor demonstrated accuracy comparable to the video-based system for measuring navicular drop on the bare foot.
• High reproducibility was observed in the sensor's measurements.
• In-shoe measurements confirmed the sensor's ability to accurately track navicular drop within footwear without user discomfort.

Conclusions:

• The developed capacitive strain sensor is a viable tool for accurate and reproducible in-shoe navicular drop measurement.
• This technology has the potential to become a valuable diagnostic aid in clinical practice and sports performance monitoring.
• The sensor offers a comfortable and practical solution for continuous foot movement analysis during daily activities.