Smart Socks and In-Shoe Systems: State-of-the-Art for Two Popular Technologies for Foot Motion Analysis, Sports, and...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Wearable Technology
• Sports Science

Background:

• Smart socks and in-shoe systems are popular for foot motion and health monitoring.
• These devices offer alternatives for gait and foot pressure analysis.
• Textile-based smart socks and pressure-sensitive insoles (PSI) are key technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent research on smart socks and in-shoe systems.
• To provide researchers with an overview for selecting relevant information.
• To identify future research directions for sensor technology in footwear.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of smart sock and in-shoe system research.
• Analysis of methods for gait and foot pressure analysis.
• Examination of validation and repeatability studies for systems like Pedar.

Main Results:

• Recent advances in smart sock and in-shoe system technology are detailed.
• The Pedar system is presented with its applications in medicine and sports.
• Validation and repeatability studies for in-shoe systems are discussed.

Conclusions:

• This review serves as a resource for researchers in foot motion analysis.
• It can guide improvements in the design and functionality of wearable sensors.
• Future research can expand applications of smart textiles and in-shoe systems.