The Novosibirsk State Technical University (NETI) is developing insoles with a foot load reading system. The collected data will be used to create individual transformable insoles that adapt to the user's particular workload.
As noted by Teya Adalinskaya, a student of the Faculty of Business at NSTU-NETI, the idea of the development arose from her own experience of wearing orthopedic insoles. "The question kept flashing through my head: "Why are they so uncomfortable?" Together with the team, we analyzed the market and identified many problems that arise with the purchase of orthopedic insoles. We got the impression that the industry of these products works according to the following principle: they try to solve the problem using one static snapshot of the foot. The scan is performed standing up, without diagnosing changes in the load on the feet during movement, which does not allow the insoles to be personalized at the proper level. At the same time, orthopedic insoles are in high demand today, since up to 80% of Russians, according to WHO statistics, have foot problems. People pay a lot of money for individual insoles, and then they go for manual adjustments. We decided to fix it."
The project team has developed the concept of an insole that reads the load on the foot in dynamics. A smart insole for people with diseases of the feet and musculoskeletal system analyzes the load on the foot during a month during walking and physical activity. The collected data is sent to the application, which automatically processes it and generates a foot layout with load dynamics. In the future, these data can be used to create individual transformable insoles that adapt to the user's load characteristics.
The development will be useful for people with flat feet and other foot deformities, diseases of the musculoskeletal system, as well as those who lead an active lifestyle - they will receive ideally suitable insoles without multiple visits to the doctor thanks to the use of the collected data. Orthopedic centers using this technology will be able to increase the accuracy of diagnostics, reduce the cost of manual improvements and, as a result, increase the number of satisfied customers.
The insole with foot load analysis has a layered architecture: an upper contact layer, a touch layer, two multiplexers for wiring, a conductive layer, a base platform with a micro-Usb controller and Bluetooth connection built into the foot pad, a battery, a protective layer against moisture (silicone sealant). The team plans to patent this insole design. Copyright registration for sensor data processing software is also expected.
The test version of the development is ready now. In the near future, the developers plan to attract investments and launch the production process of the first prototypes.