Innovations in In-Shoe Plantar Pressure Measurement Technology for Field Based Quantification of Running Gait
| dc.contributor.author | Blades, Samuel | |
| dc.contributor.supervisor | Klimstra, Marc D. | |
| dc.contributor.supervisor | Hundza, Sandra R. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-02-16T19:34:58Z | |
| dc.date.copyright | 2024 | en_US |
| dc.date.issued | 2024-02-16 | |
| dc.degree.department | School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education | en_US |
| dc.degree.level | Doctor of Philosophy Ph.D. | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | Although substantial progress has been made in the field of running biomechanics, a significant portion of this research has been confined to laboratory settings. Data collection within the laboratory, while controlled, often lacks the ecological validity necessary to capture the complexities of athletes' performances in their natural training and competition environments. Given this need, in-shoe plantar pressure measurement technology is of primary importance due to its location of measurement and its unique capacity to deliver continuous measurements of both kinematic and kinetic biomechanical data. However, most commercially available in-shoe plantar pressure measurement systems (PPMS) are designed primarily for use in research settings and are thus unsuitable for field-based use due in part, to their high cost, low durability, and cumbersome hardware designs that can interfere with natural running gait. These limitations restrict researchers, athletes, coaches, and footwear designers from using PPMS to acquire valuable biomechanical data in training and competition environments. The development of a wearable, field-appropriate, in-shoe PPMS capable of providing lab-quality pressure data and its derivative biomechanical signals could address the current gap in measurement technology enabling significant advancements in running biomechanics research. The development of such a technology, however, is highly demanding due to many competing requirements such as low weight, high durability, imperceptible form factor, and cost-effectiveness while still providing lab-quality data. The purpose of this dissertation is to present research that could aid in the development of a wearable, field-appropriate, in-shoe PPMS through the following research objectives. The first research objective was to determine the accuracy and performance of a low-cost, fully integrated pressure sensing insole relative to a research-grade PPMS using laboratory-standard equipment on bench-top and in-situ performance tests (Chapter 2). The second research objective was to determine the optimal sparse sensor layout and plantar pressure distribution estimation method capable of measuring the complete plantar pressure distribution with lab quality accuracy (Chapter 3). The final research objective was to develop and determine the optimal foot contact event detection algorithms for use with plantar pressure data to enable highly accurate gait phase analysis (Chapter 4). The results presented in this dissertation demonstrate the feasibility of the development of a wearable, field-appropriate, PPMS that can provide accurate kinematic and kinetic data. The application of these findings can aid in the further development of wearable PPMS, leading to advancements in the field of running biomechanics and the sport of running. | en_US |
| dc.description.scholarlevel | Graduate | en_US |
| dc.identifier.bibliographicCitation | S. Blades, H. Marriott, S. Hundza, E. C. Honert, T. Stellingwerff, and M. Klimstra, “Evaluation of Different Pressure-Based Foot Contact Event Detection Algorithms across Different Slopes and Speeds,” Sensors, 2023. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.bibliographicCitation | S. Blades, M. Jensen, T. Stellingwerff, S. Hundza, and M. Klimstra, “Characterization of the Kinetyx SI Wireless Pressure-Measuring Insole during Benchtop Testing and Running Gait,” Sensors, vol. 23, no. 4, p. 2352, Feb. 2023, doi: 10.3390/s23042352. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/1828/16007 | |
| dc.language | English | eng |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.rights | Available to the World Wide Web | en_US |
| dc.subject | Biomechanics | en_US |
| dc.subject | Running | en_US |
| dc.subject | Pressure | en_US |
| dc.subject | Gait | en_US |
| dc.subject | Field-based | en_US |
| dc.title | Innovations in In-Shoe Plantar Pressure Measurement Technology for Field Based Quantification of Running Gait | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |