Smart socks: new effective method of gait monitoring for systems with limited number of plantar sensors

Advanced version of DAid® Pressure Sock System (DPSS) for walking/running gait monitoring is proposed. The system enables to study in details time –related parameters of gait, such as foot strike time, stride/swing time, gradients of plantar loading/unloading, etc. both indoor and outdoor. A new method of data processing, analysis and representation is developed for such systems with limited quantity of sensors and implemented in DPSS software. The method considers the foot loading as a propagation of the plantar pressure wave, where separate sensors record amplitudes of pressure waves as reference points. Data processing includes scaling procedure that is based on application of sample entropy as the measure of sensors activity. Processed data are represented in the form of loading wave plots (WPs). WPs show load propagation across the sensors during the gait/stance. Developed system and method were tested for different types of walk/run and corresponding WPs were constructed and evaluated by sport medicine doctors. Good agreement between WPs – based analysis and diagnoses made by direct observation during walk/run tests confirms system efficacy and validity of results. Proposed method essentially simplifies gait studies and interpretation of the results.