Real-time pressure mapping smart insole system based on a controllable vertical pore dielectric layer

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Real-time plantar pressure monitoring is crucial for wearable biosensors, sports injury detection, and early diagnostics.
• Existing methods may lack the integration and real-time capabilities required for comprehensive analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an all-in-one smart insole system for real-time plantar pressure monitoring.
• To assess the system's capability in distinguishing postures and recognizing gait variations.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of an insole with 24 capacitive pressure sensors (CPSs) using laser cutting and an elastic dielectric layer with vertical pores.
• Optimization of CPSs for linearity and sensitivity within a 0-200 kPa range.
• Establishment of a smart system integrating the insole, wireless data acquisition, and PC terminal for real-time data processing.

Main Results:

• Optimized CPSs exhibited good linearity and a sensitivity of 12 × 10^-3 kPa^-1 over a 0-200 kPa range.
• The smart insole system successfully performed static and dynamic plantar pressure mapping.
• The system could distinguish various standing and yoga postures and recognize center-of-gravity variations during walking.

Conclusions:

• The developed intelligent insole system offers a feasible solution for real-time plantar pressure monitoring.
• This technology has significant potential for health surveillance, injury prevention, and athlete training applications.