The plantar pressure distribution gait analysis system is a professional system used to evaluate pressure changes in different regions of the plantar surface during walking, running, or standing. It is commonly used in fields such as sports science, rehabilitation medicine, orthotic design, and disease diagnosis. Through pressure sensors and data analysis algorithms, it accurately reconstructs the biomechanical characteristics of the gait process.
I. System Composition and Basic Principles
Sensor Devices
The core of the system is an array of pressure sensors arranged in insoles, pressure plates, or treadmills. The sensors can sense vertical pressure changes at different positions of the sole in real time, and some advanced devices can also monitor shear forces (horizontal friction). These sensors are generally made of resistive, capacitive, or piezoelectric materials, with fast response speed and high precision.
Data Acquisition and Transmission Module
The acquisition module converts the analog signals output from the sensors into digital signals and uses multi-channel synchronous sampling technology to efficiently collect pressure data. The collected data can be transmitted to the computing terminal via wired (e.g., USB) or wireless methods (e.g., Bluetooth, WiFi) for subsequent processing and analysis.
Gait Analysis and Software System
The analysis system organizes and models the collected data, identifying key events in the gait, such as heel strike, midfoot support, and toe-off. The system automatically extracts a series of parameter indicators, including step length, cadence, gait cycle, left-right foot weight distribution, gait symmetry, and center of gravity movement trajectory, thereby evaluating walking stability and body balance.
3D Modeling and Visualization
The system can generate 2D heatmaps or 3D dynamic pressure distribution maps based on plantar pressure changes, showing the pressure change process of each step. Some high-end systems support the generation of gait animations and personalized reports, and provide abnormal gait recognition and clinical diagnosis suggestions based on artificial intelligence technology.
II. System Working Process
First, the subject wears intelligent insoles equipped with sensors or walks barefoot on a pressure plate with sensors. The system collects the plantar pressure change data in real time and simultaneously records the timing information of each step. Subsequently, the analysis software processes the data and generates a gait analysis report, including image displays, data curves, evaluation conclusions, etc. The entire process requires no manual intervention, is easy to operate, and provides intuitive analysis.
III. Main Application Scenarios
In medical rehabilitation, the system is used to evaluate gait abnormalities in patients, such as those with cerebral palsy, hemiplegia, paraplegia, or amputation, to assess the effect of rehabilitation training. In the field of sports science, it is used to optimize running posture, training efficiency, and athletic footwear design. In industrial design, it provides scientific evidence for insoles, prosthetics, and orthotic devices. In education and research, the system is used to study gait mechanisms, biomechanical models, and neural control processes.
IV. Key Technical Challenges
Implementing a plantar pressure gait analysis system requires solving multiple technical challenges, such as the rational layout of sensors, synchronous acquisition of dynamic data, standardization of data under individual differences, accurate identification of key gait events, real-time and accurate 3D modeling, and construction of anomaly detection models based on big data.
