Abstract
The measurement of ground reaction forces (GRF) is important in gait analysis. The GRF are normally measured by using some force plates. However, force plates have several problems. First, they are embedded in the floor of the gait laboratory, so that the measurement is limited to the laboratory. Second, subjects have to walk exactly over the force plates. For these reasons, several force sensors which can be attached to a shoe sole have been developed by using some strain gages. However, the strain parts prevent us from developing a thin and compact force sensor. We have developed a wearable sensor device to measure GRF In this paper, first, we present a new structure of the sensor device which makes the device lighter Second, we develop the new device. Finally, we experimentally examine the usefulness of the new device.
