Wearable Pressure Sensing System Appliedin Sports Assistive Monitoring and Technological Rehabilitation

Abstract

In the aging society, chronic diseases have become a very common problem. Many elderly people have at least one chronic disease. Most chronic diseases are caused by poor diet and lack of physical activity. As the body ages, chronic diseases will develop. Therefore, it is important to establish a healthy lifestyle. The best way to prevent chronic diseases is to diagnose them early and self-check your health. In terms of self-check, most hospitals provide good testing equipment for the public to use. However, in Taiwan, most elderly people with chronic diseases are not aware of any abnormalities in their bodies. They often go to the hospital for a doctor's check only after experiencing a serious injury. For example, diabetic patients are tend to foot pressure distribution imbalance and foot deformation due to peripheral nerve damage caused by diabetes. In severe cases, long-term friction can cause wound infection and lead to amputation. Parkinson's disease, which commonly occurs in the elderly, is the main cause of falls in the elderly. Therefore, early self-check is very important.We used TENG technology to develop high-performance pressure sensors. The sensors are made of biocompatible silicone and conductive silicone, which are soft, flexible, and durable. We installed the sensors in insoles. We hope that by allowing patients to wear corrective insoles to detect the current foot pressure in real time, we can first collect data on the pressure distribution and walking frequency of healthy people. Then, we can compare the data to abnormal walking patterns. Finally, we can use machine learning to analyze and classify the data to predict the risk of patients developing complications of chronic diseases. This allows patients to do a simple self-check at home without having to go to a large hospital for a complex examination, which also avoids wasting unnecessary medical resources.