loadsol® : Analysis of ground reaction forces and balance in rehabilitation, biomechanics & sport science
loadsol® insoles in rehabilitation:
The loadsol® system measures the normal ground reaction force of the patient while standing or walking. Utilizing one flexible, flat sensor which covers the entire plantar surface of the foot, loadsol® measures the force between the foot and the shoe, regardless of which part of the foot is in contact with the insole. The loadsol® sensor is based on patented technology and due to its linear properties it also measures partial loads accurately. The loadsol® is used for applications where the capture of the total force on the foot is needed. The loadsol® does not capture the local pressure distribution under the foot. For this application novel’s pedar® system is the gold standard.
loadsol® technology has matchbox-sized electronics and communicates wirelessly via Bluetooth with a smartphone. The force values are displayed on the smartphone in real time.
The patient can also receive immediate biofeedback regarding the load on the foot via an auditory, visual, or vibratory signal. The measured data can be stored on the smartphone and to a clinic server, and additionally transferred to a computer for a more detailed analysis. Long-term measurements allow the assessment of variability and compliance with prescribed load limits after surgery. The loadsol® insole conforms well to surfaces and therefore it is possible to wear an orthotic in addition to the loadsol® measuring insoles. The electronics were intentionally not integrated into the thin loadsol® sensor not to affect the proprioception of the plantar surface of the foot, the biomechanics of the gait, as well as the function of a corrective orthotic. The miniature electronics can be attached to the upper part of the shoe, i.e. the laces. The loadsol® is available in all shoe sizes and in four versions with different sensor area layouts. The load on the foot can also be captured separately in up to three subareas. For specific applications there are additional customizable divisions and sizes available.
The loadsol® rehabilitation app was developed in coordination with large rehabilitation centers. It is easy to operate and at the same time allows for extensive display and evaluation of various parameters. This includes load monitoring with biofeedback, bipedal symmetry, balance and gait stability as well as assessment of walking and running. The progress of rehabilitation can
be documented using the measured values. The loadsol® sensor technology is also available as a dorsal pad for measurement on the dorsum of the foot. The dorsal pad can be used to examine the comfort of the shoe. To further evaluate the acquired data for other applications, the data can be exported to an ASCII file. Additionally, the Windows loadpad® analysis software offers an extensive evaluation of the loadsol® data on the computer. The measurement results can also be sent encrypted via Internet to a clinical practice server.
Walking with assistive devices after surgery:
loadsol® insoles in biomechanics & sports science
The loadsol® for sports measures the normal ground reaction force on the plantar surface of the foot in both standing and dynamic movements. In biomechanics, forces over time play a crucial role, as the bones, joints, tendons, ligaments and muscles work only in the interplay of forces.
For the application in sports and biomechanics, the loadsol® app allows the evaluation of parameters such as long-term biofeedback load monitoring, bipedal comparison of balance and gait, as well as the evaluation of cadence or loading rate during running. The app displays bipedal force over time and gives immediate biofeedback regarding the load on the foot. The measured data could be automatically stored to a personal cloud drive.
The loadsol® insole is available in four versions with different sensor area layouts, if the specific application requires the separate recording of the load on hindfoot and forefoot, or hindfoot, midfoot, and forefoot, or lateral forefoot, medial forefoot and hindfoot. Additional customizable divisions and sizes can be manufactured.
For athletes or in sports science, the measurement with loadsol® also allows an evaluation of the training regarding e.g. the intensity of the individual phases, the applied peak forces, the mean forces, the balance between left and right leg, the cadence, or the loading rate. The shape of the force curves allows conclusions to be drawn about the flow and uniformity of the athlete’s movement. In addition, the athlete also receives visual feedback during training and can adjust his motion sequence accordingly.
novel golf loadsol®
The new novel golf loadsol® monitors the normal force between the plantar side of the foot and the shoe. It is based on a newly patented large linear flat sensor. The
benefit of the large sensor is that the load on the complete sensor area can reliably be monitored regardless of the local force distribution on that area. Up to now, this was not possible with other known single flat surface pressure sensors due to nonlinear responses.
The sensor technology of novel enables simple but precise and accurate force measurements (static or dynamic) that can be observed and recorded on a smartphone during different activities.
This new technology has matchbox sized electronics and communicates wirelessly with a smartphone via Bluetooth ®. The data is transmitted to the smartphone in realtime so that the subject can receive an instantaneous
biofeedback via sound or vibration. All data can be stored inside the smartphone and later be transferred to a computer for multiple analysis of the data. The small electronics are connected to the insole via a very thin flexible band and then attached to the lacing or shoe upper. This method was chosen over embedding the electronics directly into the insole where electronic parts influence the sensitivity of the player’s plantar sole.
Several golf apps will be available for the novel golf loadsol®, tailored to the specific application. Integrating accelerometer data to the analysis will be possible, too.
Golf measurements:
First series of golf measurements were made with the novel golf loadsol®. In addition, an iPod was attached to the forearm to retrieve acceleration data. Below, two examples of different swings can be seen. The difference between the weight shift pattern of both swings can clearly be observed. The data can be used tohelp golfers to improve their game.
Features of the novel golf loadsol®:
• Enables golfers to visualize weight shift patterns
• Mobile and durable textile sensor
• Connects to any iOS device
• Accurate and precise force measurement
• Patented technology used in science and research
