Lee Jaeho, Lee Jimin, Lee Yoon Jae, Kim Hodam, Kwon Youngjin, Huang Yunuo, Kuczajda Matthew, Soltis Ira, Yeo Woon-Hong
George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States.
Wearable Intelligent Systems and Healthcare (WISH) Center at the Institute for Matter and Systems, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States.
ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2025 Aug 20;17(33):47153-47161. doi: 10.1021/acsami.5c08296. Epub 2025 Jul 29.
Individuals experiencing gait dysfunction─such as the elderly, those with peripheral nervous system damage, or individuals with Parkinson's disease─face a heightened risk of physical injury due to imbalanced weight distribution. Despite recent advancements in wearable movement trackers, there remains a significant need for a reliable long-term plantar pressure monitoring system. While some existing devices measure pressure characteristics, many are hindered by limitations in spatial resolution, sensitivity, and the presence of bulky peripherals. Here, we introduce a flexible smart insole system that integrates screen-printed nanomaterials to create a high-density piezoresistive sensor array, enabling accurate plantar pressure measurement during daily activities. To ensure scalable and cost-effective manufacturing, we utilize a screen-printing method to fabricate 173 carbon-based sensors directly onto a flexible insole circuit. The printed sensors demonstrate a remarkable sensitivity of -0.322 kPa, surpassing previous benchmarks. When combined with a wearable mobile communication circuit, this system offers a comprehensive analysis of the user's plantar pressure distribution. Experimental studies conducted with human subjects showcase the smart insole's real-time monitoring capabilities in common daily ambulation scenarios. The integration of high spatial resolution, exceptional sensitivity, and a fully mobile wearable system holds significant promise for enhancing outcomes across various applications, from healthcare to athletics.
经历步态功能障碍的个体，如老年人、外周神经系统受损者或帕金森病患者，由于体重分布不均衡，面临着更高的身体受伤风险。尽管可穿戴运动追踪器最近取得了进展，但仍然迫切需要一种可靠的长期足底压力监测系统。虽然一些现有设备可以测量压力特征，但许多设备受到空间分辨率、灵敏度以及存在笨重外围设备等限制的阻碍。在此，我们介绍一种灵活的智能鞋垫系统，该系统集成了丝网印刷纳米材料，以创建高密度压阻传感器阵列，从而能够在日常活动中准确测量足底压力。为确保可扩展且具有成本效益的制造，我们采用丝网印刷方法将173个碳基传感器直接制造在柔性鞋垫电路上。印刷传感器表现出显著的灵敏度，为-0.322kPa，超过了先前的基准。当与可穿戴移动通信电路相结合时，该系统可对用户的足底压力分布进行全面分析。对人类受试者进行的实验研究展示了智能鞋垫在常见日常行走场景中的实时监测能力。高空间分辨率、卓越灵敏度和完全可移动的可穿戴系统的集成，对于改善从医疗保健到体育等各种应用的结果具有重大前景。
