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Bucinskas V, Dzedzickis A, Rozene J, Subaciute-Zemaitiene J, Satkauskas I, Uvarovas V, Bobina R, Morkvenaite-Vilkonciene I. Wearable Feet Pressure Sensor for Human Gait and Falling Diagnosis. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21155240. [PMID: 34372477 PMCID: PMC8347941 DOI: 10.3390/s21155240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Human falls pose a serious threat to the person's health, especially for the elderly and disease-impacted people. Early detection of involuntary human gait change can indicate a forthcoming fall. Therefore, human body fall warning can help avoid falls and their caused injuries for the skeleton and joints. A simple and easy-to-use fall detection system based on gait analysis can be very helpful, especially if sensors of this system are implemented inside the shoes without causing a sensible discomfort for the user. We created a methodology for the fall prediction using three specially designed Velostat®-based wearable feet sensors installed in the shoe lining. Measured pressure distribution of the feet allows the analysis of the gait by evaluating the main parameters: stepping rhythm, size of the step, weight distribution between heel and foot, and timing of the gait phases. The proposed method was evaluated by recording normal gait and simulated abnormal gait of subjects. The obtained results show the efficiency of the proposed method: the accuracy of abnormal gait detection reached up to 94%. In this way, it becomes possible to predict the fall in the early stage or avoid gait discoordination and warn the subject or helping companion person.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vytautas Bucinskas
- Department of Mechatronics, Robotics, and Digital Manufacturing, Faculty of Mechanics, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, LT-03224 Vilnius, Lithuania; (V.B.); (J.R.); (J.S.-Z.)
| | - Andrius Dzedzickis
- Department of Mechatronics, Robotics, and Digital Manufacturing, Faculty of Mechanics, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, LT-03224 Vilnius, Lithuania; (V.B.); (J.R.); (J.S.-Z.)
- Correspondence: (A.D.); (I.M.-V.); Tel.: +370-683-61345 (I.M.-V.)
| | - Juste Rozene
- Department of Mechatronics, Robotics, and Digital Manufacturing, Faculty of Mechanics, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, LT-03224 Vilnius, Lithuania; (V.B.); (J.R.); (J.S.-Z.)
| | - Jurga Subaciute-Zemaitiene
- Department of Mechatronics, Robotics, and Digital Manufacturing, Faculty of Mechanics, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, LT-03224 Vilnius, Lithuania; (V.B.); (J.R.); (J.S.-Z.)
| | - Igoris Satkauskas
- Clinic of Rheumatology, Orthopaedics Traumatology and Reconstructive Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, LT-03101 Vilnius, Lithuania; (I.S.); (V.U.); (R.B.)
- Centre of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Republican Vilnius University Hospital, Šiltnamių Str. 29, LT-04130 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Valentinas Uvarovas
- Clinic of Rheumatology, Orthopaedics Traumatology and Reconstructive Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, LT-03101 Vilnius, Lithuania; (I.S.); (V.U.); (R.B.)
- Centre of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Republican Vilnius University Hospital, Šiltnamių Str. 29, LT-04130 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Rokas Bobina
- Clinic of Rheumatology, Orthopaedics Traumatology and Reconstructive Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, LT-03101 Vilnius, Lithuania; (I.S.); (V.U.); (R.B.)
- Centre of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Republican Vilnius University Hospital, Šiltnamių Str. 29, LT-04130 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Inga Morkvenaite-Vilkonciene
- Department of Mechatronics, Robotics, and Digital Manufacturing, Faculty of Mechanics, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, LT-03224 Vilnius, Lithuania; (V.B.); (J.R.); (J.S.-Z.)
- Correspondence: (A.D.); (I.M.-V.); Tel.: +370-683-61345 (I.M.-V.)
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Polyethylene-Carbon Composite (Velostat ®) Based Tactile Sensor. Polymers (Basel) 2020; 12:polym12122905. [PMID: 33287414 PMCID: PMC7761878 DOI: 10.3390/polym12122905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The progress observed in ‘soft robotics’ brought some promising research in flexible tactile, pressure and force sensors, which can be based on polymeric composite materials. Therefore, in this paper, we intend to evaluate the characteristics of a force-sensitive material—polyethylene-carbon composite (Velostat®) by implementing this material into the design of the flexible tactile sensor. We have explored several possibilities to measure the electrical signal and assessed the mechanical and time-dependent properties of this tactile sensor. The response of the sensor was evaluated by performing tests in static, long-term load and cyclic modes. Experimental results of loading cycle measurements revealed the hysteresis and nonlinear properties of the sensor. The transverse resolution of the sensor was defined by measuring the response of the sensor at different distances from the loaded point. Obtained dependencies of the sensor’s sensitivity, hysteresis, response time, transversal resolution and deformation on applied compressive force promise a practical possibility to use the polyethylene-carbon composite as a sensitive material for sensors with a single electrode pair or its matrix. The results received from experimental research have defined the area of the possible implementation of the sensor based on a composite material—Velostat®.
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