The objective of this project was to design and instrument a shoe or boot equipped with sensors used to monitor the loads imposed on the human body (i.e. muscular, skeletal system), for example during manual labor or physical exercise. The sensors and data collection device were to be implemented in an unobtrusive fashion, and the data should be easily displayable on a PC so that it can be analyzed efficiently.
Above is a picture of the shoe equipped with an insole and load sensors
This project was to be carried out in order to monitor physical injuries, most commonly those in the knees and lower back. By monitoring the loads placed on the human body while performing manual labor or physical exercise, it can be determined when and for how long the most strain is put on the body. This information can then be utilized to apply preventative measures that can reduce stress on the body and therefore minimize the possibility for injury. The system was designed in order to supply information that can be analyzed by doctors, physical therapists, or the human subjects themselves.
Completion of this project entailed both mechanical, electrical and computer engineering design. The mechanical portion of the projects included instrumentation of the shoe/boot and placement of the sensors. The electrical portion mainly involved data acquisition, data transmission. Computer engineering concepts were used in developing the interface for the data display.
The group encountered quite a few hurdles in the project because we had limited experience in the hardware that was used. The first major problem was choosing the correct sensors. No one in the group had any experience with using sensors that measure load, pressure, or acceleration. We needed to find sensors that could correctly interface with the other hardware being used and record accurate data.
The biggest problem was getting the sensors to correctly relay the data to the computer in order to be analyzed. All of the students in the group have a background in mechanical engineering and this project took considerable amount of experience in electrical and computer engineering. The group found it to be a challenge to quickly learn and implement current electrical technology.
The group engineered, manufactured, and tested a working prototype of the shoe. The shoe recorded different pressures that were found at various locations on the foot. It was able to transmit the data into a computer and outputted in a graphical format. The goal of the final product was to record data that can be used to draw conclusions on how people are injured in different situations, whether it is in the workplace or in athletic activity. We hope that our prototype will be expanded upon by future groups. We feel if our product could be constructed wirelessly the next group could collect more data in different situations and draw additional conclusions. We are not physicians but if we are able observe data that shows patterns in different loads put on the body it will help the marketability of the product.
The initial approach the group used, in order to develop various conceptual designs, was to first determine what components would be involved in a project such as this, see Figure 1. It was found that the project could be reduced to 4 main areas, sensors, signal amplification, data transmission, and finally the computer software. Once the main areas were identified the group began developing conceptual ideas. The first step was to research various types of sensors. Once the correct sensor were chosen, it was necessary to determine the appropriate placement of these sensors within the athletic shoe. Different modes of data transmission were also considered. The first possibility that was considered was a straight forward wired system. In this system the wires will be attach the shoe to the actual computer for data analysis. A second possibility that was considered was the development of a wireless network that would transfer the data from the sensors to a nearby hub or control station before being displayed on the computer. The third option considered implements a small storage device located on the shoe. This storage device would then collect all necessary data. It would then be detached from the shoe and plugged into the computer for data transfer. It was also important to the group that all data was displayed in a user friendly manner.
Figure 1 : System Approach