Mobile foot-force measurement system for dynamic gait stability analysis

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The quality of life of elderly and people with physical disabilities greatly depends on their ability to walk freely without the fear of falling. The ability of elderly to walk in a stable manner is commonly assessed by caregivers - such as nurses and physiotherapists, during placement of an elderly person in a residence for seniors or a long-term care centre. As poor walking stability is a major cause of falls in elderly, assessment of the stability of elderly in walking is also essential following a change of medication, recovery from hip surgery, fitting of a leg brace or special footwear, or change of environment. This is important in order to maximize their safety, independence, and quality of life. Current methods of assessing walking stability by caregivers relies on subjective methods of rating a person's abilities to perform certain tasks, or error-prone methods based on timing a person in carrying out a task.The proposed equipment is a shoe-insole foot-force measurement system that measures and records the forces acting at numerous points on the sole of the foot when a person is walking. Acquisition of the system will permit verification of a new method to assess stability in people who may likely have some instability, such as people with physical disabilities and elderly. By measuring the forces acting on the foot during walking, and combining various different parameters that indicate instability, into a single index, a more objective, accurate and reliable assessment of stability can be made. Acquisition of the foot-force measurement system will permit verification of this new approach specifically for the elderly population. It will also be used in the research and design of new footwear aimed to stabilize the foot when the foot and body become unstable. This research is expected to lead to reduced incidents of slips and falls in elderly and people with disabilities, and reduced health care costs.