Kinematix (Oporto, Portugal) has launched the FITinSENSE, a shoe fitting system that enables measurement of athletes’ foot pressure, movement and body position for more informed shoe fitting and selection. The FITinSENSE system consists of a thin insole, embedded with microelectronic pressure sensors, that is placed inside a pair of shoes.

While wearing the insole and using a treadmill, the athlete’s movements and gait pattern are captured using a regular video camera. In the meantime information from the pressure sensors in the insole are sent to a unit attached to the side of the shoe that then wirelessly transmits it via Bluetooth to a processing unit where it’s finally combined with the gait video from the camera. The processing unit uses the FITinSENSE software to analyze the foot pressure and video data. The processed information is then provided in the form of real time reports to the athlete or a sports biomechanics expert to help select the right footwear for the athlete’s optimal performance.

Sensoria: a smart sock

The Sensoria system comprises a washable smart sock containing pressure sensing textiles, a magnetic anklet which houses the core circuitry for the sock, and of course an app to log and co-ordinate and socialize your activities. In addition to the standard altitude, calorie estimation and step counting features, the sock generates stride frequency, stride length and foot loading patterns.

The foot loading feature in particular is interesting, and it seems Heapsylon has engaged a number of senior podiatrists as advisers to refine this feature so that the Sensoria may be used as a means to avoid running injuries due to poor foot loading. The Heapsylon site also references applications for the management and prevention of neuropathic ulcers in diabetic patients, hinting at a more medically-oriented version of the system down the line.