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、更稳健、更准确的方式提供有关人类运动的信息，以改善人类健康和性能。该项目推进了几个技术领域，包括？智能？可穿戴传感器、移动辅助技术和多传感器网络决策。鞋垫进入了快速增长的可穿戴设备？市场，预计未来3年将增长200%。一种经济的自感知材料的引入，可以将当前的泡沫和柔顺部件转化为高精度的变形传感器，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。其他应用还有很多：自我监控人工脊椎节段、自我感知家具、振动设备的智能支架等。此外，与杨百翰大学(Brigham Young University)的合作(重点是本科生指导)为高科技初创公司的工作引入了大量未来工程师，而且种类繁多或？现实世界？工程问题。这个小型企业技术转移研究(STTR)第一阶段项目将从技术和市场两个方面展示自感应型压电响应型鞋垫的可行性。使用新颖而坚固的技术，鞋垫将量化各种人体运动过程中的3D地面反作用力特征，潜在地帮助正在老龄化和超重的美国社会变得更健康。研究目标将集中在开发一种全新的纳米复合泡沫传感器，以捕捉以前只能在高度受控的实验室条件下测量的步态特征。鞋垫将被创建，能够检测地面反作用力的所有必要分量，同时保持几乎不透湿，功率要求非常低。该技术将使用无线数据传输和智能手机应用程序进行配置，以提供？智能？适用于四种特定用户应用的可穿戴设备：运动分析、视频游戏输入、物理治疗辅助设备和步态生物反馈。具体目标的例子包括对卡路里消耗的准确估计和对损害腿部肌肉骨骼健康的运动模式的再培训。鞋垫的商业可行性将得到验证，包括对测试期产品进行大规模的可制造性审查和市场测试。

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.