Predicting vertical ground reaction force during running using novel piezoresponsive sensors and accelerometry

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Sports Science
• Wearable Technology

Background:

• Vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) is crucial for understanding running injuries and performance.
• Current vGRF measurement is largely confined to laboratory settings, limiting real-world data collection.
• Developing portable and accessible methods for vGRF measurement is essential for broader research and application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel approach for measuring vGRF during running outside the laboratory.
• To assess the feasibility of using instrumented running shoes with piezoresponsive sensors and accelerometers for vGRF estimation.
• To compare predicted vGRF metrics with those measured on a force-instrumented treadmill.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-one participants ran at three speeds on a force-instrumented treadmill.
• Participants wore running shoes equipped with novel piezoresponsive sensors and a standard accelerometer.
• Vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) was predicted using data from the instrumented shoes and compared to treadmill-measured vGRF.

Main Results:

• Predicted vGRF impulse, active peak vGRF, and ground contact time showed relatively low error (2-7%).
• Predicted vGRF load rates exhibited higher error (22-29%).
• The developed technology demonstrates potential for estimating key vGRF parameters.

Conclusions:

• The novel instrumented shoe system offers a potential method for collecting vGRF data outside traditional biomechanics labs.
• Further refinement of the technology and data collection from diverse populations may improve accuracy, particularly for load rates.
• This approach could enable large-scale, real-world collection of running biomechanics data.