An Ergonomic Dynamometric Foot Platform for Functional Assessment in Rehabilitation

This paper presents a novel platform for mono-lateral isometric force/torque measurements on the foot of human subjects. A human-centred mechatronic approach was used in the design and development of this platform, which consists of an ergonomic moving structure embedding two six-axis force/torque sensors. The height of the platform from the ground can be easily fitted to the anthropometrical properties of the human body, without any reduction of the stiffness of the overall system, as strictly required for accurate isometric force/torque measurements. Thanks to a specific ergonomic study, a discrete number of height levels can be selected to meet the anthropometrical requirements of a vast majority of population. The proposed platform has been designed and built for application in functional assessment of post-stroke patients, and it is currently being validated in three different clinical centres in Europe. Future application for isometric motor exercise in neurorehabilitation, and also as a generic, foot-based human-machine interface are currently under feasibility evaluation