STTR Phase I: Piezoelectric Self-sensing Shoe Insole

该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力在于能够以比现有方法更便宜，更强大和更准确的方式提供有关人类运动的信息，以改善人类健康和表现。该项目推进了几个技术领域，包括？聪明吗可穿戴传感器、移动的辅助技术和多传感器网络决策。 鞋垫发射到迅速增长？可穿戴设备市场，预计将在未来3年增长200%。引入一种经济的自感知材料，可以将当前的泡沫和顺应性组件转变为高精度变形传感器，在几乎所有消费产品和工程领域都具有巨大的潜力。跑鞋、运动头盔、汽车保险杠、安全气囊传感器和床垫制造商已经表达了初步的兴趣。其他应用有很多：此外，与杨百翰大学的合作（特别关注本科生指导）将大量未来的工程师引入高科技初创公司的工作中，并提供各种各样的产品或服务。真实的世界？工程问题。这个小企业技术转移研究（STTR）第一阶段项目将证明可行性，在技术和市场方面，一个自感应压电响应鞋垫。该鞋垫使用新颖而强大的技术，将量化各种人体运动过程中的3D地面反作用力特征，可能有助于美国社会变得更加健康。研究目标将集中在开发一种全新的纳米复合材料泡沫传感器，以捕获以前只能在高度控制的实验室条件下测量的步态特征。一个鞋垫将被创建的能力，以检测所有必要的组成部分，地面反作用力，同时保持几乎不透水，具有非常低的功率要求。该技术将配置使用无线数据传输和智能手机应用程序，以提供？聪明吗可穿戴设备适用于四种特定的用户应用：运动分析、视频游戏输入、物理治疗辅助和步态生物反馈。具体目标的例子包括准确估计热量消耗和对下肢肌肉骨骼健康有害的运动模式的再训练。鞋垫的商业可行性将得到验证，包括大规模的可制造性审查和β阶段产品的市场测试。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this project lies in an ability to provide information regarding human movement in a way that is less expensive, more robust, and more accurate than existing methods, in order to improve human health and performance. The project advances several technology areas including ?smart? wearable sensors, mobile assistive technology, and multi-sensor networked decision-making. The insole launches into the rapidly growing ?wearable device? market, which is anticipated to grow by 200% over the next 3 years. The introduction of an economical self-sensing material that can transform current foam and compliant components into high-accuracy deformation sensors has huge potential in almost all fields of consumer products and engineering. Initial interest has already been expressed from manufacturers of running shoes, athletic helmets, car bumpers, airbag sensors, and mattress manufacturers. Other applications are numerous: self-monitoring artificial spine segments, self-sensing furniture, smart mounts for vibrating equipment, etc. Furthermore, the collaboration with Brigham Young University (with a specific focus on undergraduate mentoring) introduces a large number of future engineers to the works of high-tech startups, and a wide variety or ?real world? engineering issues. This Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) Phase I project will demonstrate feasibility, in terms of both technology and market, of a self-sensing piezoresponsive insole. Using novel and robust technology, the insole will quantify 3D ground reaction force characteristics during various human movements, potentially assisting an American society that is aging and overweight in becoming more healthful. Research objectives will focus on the exploitation of an entirely new class of nano-composite foam sensors to capture gait characteristics that were previously only measurable in highly controlled laboratory conditions. An insole will be created with the ability to detect all necessary components of ground reaction force, while remaining almost impervious to moisture, with a very low power requirement. The technology will be configured using wireless data transfer and smart-phone apps to provide ?smart? wearables for four specific user applications: exercise analysis, video game input, physical therapy aid, and gait biofeedback. Examples of specific objectives include accurate estimates of caloric expenditure and retraining of movement patterns that are detrimental to lower-extremity musculoskeletal health. The commercial feasibility of the insole will be validated, including a large-scale manufacturability review and market testing of the beta-stage product.