Development and validation of smart insoles for gait monitoring of diabetic patients

The aim of this project was to develop low-cost, high-resolution pressure sensing insoles for gait monitoring. Properties of flexible piezoelectric pressure sensors were investigated in detail and several iterations of screen-printed insoles were produced. A new material property, electrical viscosity, was discovered and an industrial standard proposed. A novel validation method was developed to ensure the accuracy of the insoles. The insoles were used for a healthy volunteer study, which involved 20 participants and a clinical trial comprising of 14 diabetic patients. Novel gait indices, which measured gait symmetry, laterality and consistency, were developed from the experimental data.