Wearable textile sensor sock for gait analysis

The ability to measure foot plantar pressure and gait characteristics during a prolonged period of daily life activities has many important applications in people with gait disorders. This paper presents the development of a wearable textile sensor sock incorporating these measurements, offering the potential to detect major events during the stance phase of the gait cycle. The sensors are constructed from conductive thread and are connected to a data logger with a Secure Digital card to allow prolonged recording. Validation of the temporal parameters measured with the textile sensor sock compared to F-scan insole (Tekscan, Inc.) showed 1.6% and 3.8% differences in stride and stance duration, respectively. Test-retest reliability study showed highly repeatable measurements (r = 0.96) in 3 days apart. These results demonstrate the potential for using textile-based sensor sock in future applications providing active gait assistance to people with gait disorders.