Embroidered textile sensors for real-time multiaxial force mapping in prosthetics

Real-time monitoring of pressure and shear forces at the limb-socket interface is essential for optimizing prosthetic fit, comfort, and skin health. Shear forces, in particular, can aggravate irritation and cause ulceration near bony prominences, making their detection as important as pressure. However, current in-socket sensing systems-typically based on strain gages, piezoresistive films, or optical mechanisms-remain largely limited to normal pressure detection and often rely on socket modifications or rigid multilayered components, constraining seamless integration with the compliant limb-socket interface. Here, we present textile prosthetic sheaths with machine-embroidered sensor arrays that achieve simultaneous, real-time monitoring of normal and shear forces. The system wirelessly streams data for three-dimensional pressure mapping and incorporates an embroidered electroluminescent display for intuitive, on-body visual feedback. Testing with a transtibial prosthetic user demonstrated the ability to capture dynamic pressure and shear distributions during daily activities, with ground reaction and acceleration data providing complementary insights into gait symmetry and limb dynamics. These results establish embroidered textile sensors as a practical route to improving prosthetic fit, comfort, and gait stability and highlight their broader potential in rehabilitation robotics and human-machine interfaces.