Lower Limb Acitivity

LOWER LIMB FORCES HAVE BEEN MEASURED IN THE LABORATORY ON FORCEPLATE DEVICES. THESE HAVE SEVERAL DRAWBACKS, THE MOST IMPORTANT BEING THE INABILITY TO MEASURE SPATIAL VARIATION OF VERTICAL FORCES (DUE TO THE STIFFNESS OF THE FORCEPLATE) AND THE LACK OF FOOT-SHOE CONTACT FORCES. ALSO,LABORATORY MEASUREMENTS ARE REMOVED FROM THE REAL WORLD, IN WHICH EVENTS OFTEN OCCUR MUCH DIFFERENTLY. SOME STUDIES HAVE BEEN PERFORMED ON CLASSIC PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS APPLIED TO SHOE SOLES, BUT THESE ARE LIMITED TO THE LAB, AND THE EFFECT OF TRANSDUCER STIFFNESS ON SHOE DYNAMICS IS QUESTIONABLE. THE SYSTEM DESCRIBED HEREIN CAN OVERCOME THESE SHORTFALLS. FIBER OPTIC PRESSURE SENSORS EMBEDDED IN A SHOE SOLE WOULD HAVE LITTLE EFFECT ON THE SHOE DYNAMICS. A FIELD-PORTABLE DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEM WOULD ALLOW REAL WORLD MEASUREMENTS AND SHOW THE SENSITIVITY TO FIELD TERRAIN, ACTIVITY TYPE, ETC. ALONG WITH DEVELOPMENT OF A FIELD-PORTABLE SYSTEM TO MEASURE VERTICAL FOOT FORCES RESEARCH INTO MEASURING FORWARD-AFT SHEAR IN THE FOOT WILL BE STUDIED IN THE LABORATORY.