New-Tech Europe Magazine | December 2018

A smart shoe for athletes and diabetics

Ann Monté, researcher at CMST and Fien Burg, research manager at RSscan

CMST, an imec lab at Ghent University, and Holst Centre, founded by imec and TNO, are working on an intelligent shoe sole with the Belgian company, RSscan. This sole contains around 900 sensors and measures the distribution of pressure on the sole of the foot when you walk or run. Knowing this is of interest to elite athletes and patients going through rehab, as well as for diabetes patients. Unique about this new development are the large number of sensors in the sole, the high rate of frequency at which readings are taken and the fact the electronics used are extremely thin and bendable. RSscan aims to bring the product to market by 2020 at the latest. Preventing injuries in sportspeople The way we walk (or run) is very individual. This can be seen from a

person’s running style, for instance, but you also need to be able to see the sole of the foot from below. If you can, you’ll see that every person’s pressure profile is different. Walking or running incorrectly can lead ultimately to issues such as back and hip problems. And if you are ‘extreme’ in the way you walk, run or jump – the way athletes do – it can even result in seri-ous and long-lasting injuries. Fortunately, these problems can often be solved by wearing the right shoes or having the correct soles. Today, there are systems on the market – sensor plates – of approximately 0.5 by 2 meters. The sole of your foot is measured when you run or walk over these plates. Then, based on these measurements, you can make the right selection from the wide range of the shoes and soles available on the market. The Belgian

company RS Print – a sister company of RSscan – even takes things a step further (no pun intended!): based on the measurements, a 3D printer is able to produce a personalized sole. And Fitstation – a joint initiative between RSscan and HP – us-es the pressure readings and a 3D scan of your foot to produce a shoe customized just for you. Preventing amputations in diabetics Far and away the largest market for sensor plates is the diabetes market. In Belgium alone there are some 600,000 people who have diabetes, of whom around 15%, over time, will develop injuries to the soles of their feet, including in places that are subject to high forces of pressure. In 1 in 15 cases, these injuries can lead to the amputation of the foot and

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