Open AccessValidation of the wearable sensor system - MoveSole® smart insoles
Author(s) -
Antti Alamäki,
Elievala,
Juha Jalovaara,
John Barton,
Salvatore Tedesco,
Joan Condell,
Karla Muñoz Esquivel,
Damien P. Kelly,
David Heaney,
James Gillespie,
Shvan Karim,
Richard J. Davies,
Anordström,
Markus Larsson
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
finnish journal of ehealth and ewelfare
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1798-0798
DOI - 10.23996/fjhw.95776
Subject(s) - ground reaction force , gait , force platform , wearable computer , gait analysis , work (physics) , reaction , heel , simulation , computer science , physical medicine and rehabilitation , engineering , kinematics , mechanical engineering , structural engineering , physics , medicine , classical mechanics , embedded system
Biomechanical analysis of gait is commonly used in physiotherapy. Ground reaction forces during phases of gait is one element of kinetic analysis. In this article, we analyze if the MoveSole® smart insole is valid and accurate equipment for measuring ground reaction forces in clinical physiotherapy. MoveSole® StepLab is a mobile measurement system for instant underfoot force measurements during gait. Unique electromagnetic film (EMFI) based sensor technology and printed electronics production technology is integrated in the MoveSole® StepLab measurement system. The MoveSole® StepLab measures plantar ground reaction force distribution over the sensors and provides an estimation of the maximum total ground reaction force.We developed a two phase validation process to extract relevant parameters and compared the results to a Kistler force plate using the BioWare® analyzing program as a reference method. Our results show that MoveSole® smart insoles reach the strong level of accuracy needed in clinical work concerning highest ground reaction forces during step (Pearson correlation .822 - .875). The correlation of the time when the maximum ground reaction force occurred was moderate, e.g. during heel strike or toe-off (Pearson correlation natural gait speed .351 - .462, maximum gait speed .430). Our conclusion is that MoveSole® smart insoles are a potential tool for analyzing and monitoring gait ground reaction forces during physiotherapy processes.