ABSTRACT
Cinematographic techniques are not well suited to determine the forces and accelerations experienced during locomotion and sports activities. Transducers are necessary to provide accurate data for these mechanical quantities. Ground reaction forces and the path of the centre of gravity can be determined with force platforms. These data are used to estimate internal and external loads on the body, its bones, muscles, and joints during locomotion and sports activities. However, the knowledge of the ground reaction forces provides no information about the stress, acting on various anatomical foot structures. The understanding of the etiology of foot stress fractures, for example, requires a more detailed analysis of foot loading. Many separate force measuring sensors that cover the area of contact between the foot and the ground provide this information. For many years, researchers have explored methods to measure pressure distribution. Nowadays, different commercial pressure measuring devices are available, and the determination of static and dynamic pressure
17.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 359 17.2 Historical Review of Pressure Distribution Technologies ............................360 17.3 Transducer Technologies .............................................................................. 361
17.3.1 Resistive Sensors .............................................................................. 362 17.3.2 Capacitive Sensors ............................................................................ 362 17.3.3 Piezoelectric Sensors ........................................................................ 363
17.4 Pressure Variables and Data Visualization ...................................................364 17.5 Reliability of Pressure Distribution Measurements in Biomechanical
Applications ..................................................................................................366 17.6 Application to Footwear ...............................................................................366
