Evolution And Challenges Of Smart Shoes From Gait Analysis To Health Management
3 main points
✔️ Evolution of smart shoes and their application in health care
✔️ Patient monitoring and gait analysis using machine learning and deep learning technologies
✔️ Challenges to widespread adoption, including battery life and cost reduction
Recent Innovations in Footwear Sensors: Role of Smart Footwear in Healthcare -- A Survey
written by Pradyumna G. R., Roopa B. Hegde, Bommegowda K. B., Anil Kumar Bhat, Ganesh R. Naik, Amit N. Pujari
(Submitted on 3 Jan 2024 (v1), last revised 6 Feb 2024 (this version, v2))
Comments: Published on arxiv
Subjects: Computers and Society (cs.CY)
code：
The images used in this article are from the paper, the introductory slides, or were created based on them.
Summary
In recent years, innovative "smart shoes" have appeared one after another, incorporating IoT (Internet of Things) and wearable device technologies into the "shoes" that are indispensable to our daily lives. Smart shoes use electronic components, sensors, microprocessors, and other technologies embedded in shoes to monitor, acquire, and analyze data on our health and daily activities in real time.
For example, it tracks foot pressure, posture, body fatigue, temperature inside the shoe, number of steps, weight, and location, and uses this information to provide advice on how to improve health and fitness.
In recent years, people have become increasingly health-conscious in terms of preventive medicine, and this kind of advice enables optimal health management for individual users, making their daily lives more comfortable and healthy.
This paper surveys the relevant literature published from 2017 to 2023 to understand the latest trends in smart footwear, how smart footwear technology is evolving, what impact it will have on our lives, and what direction it will go in the future and its future is discussed.It also identifies the current accelerating development of smart shoe technology and the resulting growing consumer needs.
Smart Shoes and Applications in Healthcare
Smart shoes are being used in a variety of settings to track exercise, monitor health, and detect certain diseases.This section describes howsmart shoes arebeing applied and utilized.As shown in the figure below, smart shoesare applied in threemainareas:performance tracking (PERFORMANCE TRACKING), monitoring (MONITORING), anddetection and recognition(classification of disorders) (DETECTION/RECOGNITION).
Smart shoes can collect information such as gait data, weight, and distance traveled by incorporating sensors in the shoes.
The collected data is analyzed by the system according to its intended use, and the results can be viewed on a smartphone application or other device,allowing users to manage their health based on the results. For example, the system provides information on the number of steps taken, walking speed, and even health-related advice.
Small computers such as Arduino and Raspberry Pi are commonly used to process data, and in recent years, data transfer via wireless communication has become the mainstream.
The results of data analysis generated by smart shoes can also be an important means of obtaining assistance from medical professionals. At the same time, however, since these data concern personal health, it is important to protect the security and privacy of the information. To ensure clinically reliable data analysis, smart shoe systems need to be robust.
Smart Shoes Application Area 1: Performance Tracking
Smart shoes have been applied to assist the visually impaired, measure performance of athletes, and monitor the elderly and soldiers. The chart below shows the percentage of papers related to each application area.
Vision impaired:Approximately 2.2 billion people worldwide are visually impaired or blind. For the visually impaired, getting around safely on their own is a major challenge.Smart shoes arebeing applied tosolve this challenge.Equipped with ultrasonic sensors,smart shoescan detect obstacles and prompt users to avoid them. They can also incorporate GPS tracking and wireless charging systems to share real-time location information and send notifications to family and friends as needed.
Athlete Performance Measurement (Athletes):Smart shoes areequipped with the ability to measure physical parameters such as speed, pressure, and acceleration, as well as physiological parameters such as oxygen saturation, body temperature, and blood pressure, to accurately assess an athlete's training and performance status This will enable athletes to accurately monitor their training and performance status.The use ofsmart shoeshas been shown to improve running efficiency.In addition, the materials and design ofsmart shoesare being improved, and shoes that support more comfortable and effective training are being developed.
Monitoring the Elderly (Elderly):As the global population of the elderly grows, monitoring their risk of falling and health status is an important issue.Smart shoescan assist people with dementia and others by detecting falls of the elderly and tracking their location using GPS.Smart shoeswith fall detectioncan enable rapid response in the event of an emergency and keep the elderly safe.
Soldiers (Soldiers):In the military field, it is important to know the location and monitor the health of soldiers in an ever-changing situation.Smart shoesenable remote monitoring of soldiers using long-range communications and enable them to obtain accurate location information using GPS. They also include a panic button to call for help from base in the event of an emergency.
Smart Shoes Application Area 2: Patient Monitoring
Smart shoes are also being applied to remotely monitor patients in medical facilities and at home. The technology is being used to track daily activities, monitor patients with gait problems, and even track the condition of patients with certain conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and gait disorders.
Human Activity Recognition (HAR):HAR is widely used for a variety of applications, including health monitoring, fitness tracking, and monitoring the disabled. Recently, HAR using smart shoes has attracted much attention, and devices worn on the wrist or ankle have been reported to be suitable for remote HAR.
In addition, pressure and inertial sensors are often used for HAR, with inertial sensors being more effective for dynamic activity and pressure sensors being more effective for static activity. Therefore, a combination of both sensors is recommended for the most efficient results.
Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) are also being used to process sensor data and recognize activity, which enables advanced analysis.
Monitoring Diabetic Patients:Diabetes is a chronic disease affecting the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves, with an estimated 422 million people worldwide suffering from the disease. A particularly serious complication is diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), a common complication of diabetes that is often caused by nerve damage and poor circulation and can lead to serious infections, which reportedly kill about 50% of patients within five years. It has been reported that approximately 50% of patients die within 5 years due to DFU. Early detection and management of DFUs is therefore very important.
Smart shoes can remotely monitor diabetic patients and detect early signs of DFU and precursors such as joint contractures, inflammation, and callus formation. A combination of appropriate smart shoe selection, patient education, telemedicine, and even prophylactic surgical treatment is expected to prevent the onset and recurrence of DFU.
Moulaei et al. and Altaf et al. have developed smart shoes that accurately measure foot pressure, humidity, and temperature and transmit this data to a smartphone via a Bluetooth module. Also developed by Kularathne et al. is the Dia Shoe, a plug-and-play device that efficiently measures temperature, humidity, weight, and steps through a mobile app.
In addition, Sousa et al. have developed smart shoes for monitoring plantar pressure, and prototypes have been designed with integrated plantar pressure and blood flow monitoring systems, complete with wireless data transmission capabilities. These technologies can monitor the pressure on a patient's feet in real time and assist with necessary treatment and preventive measures.
A system has also been developed that pairs a smart watch with a smart shoe to monitor plantar pressure using eight pressure sensors and send alerts through the watch. In this way, the risk of DFUs can be significantly reduced by utilizing sensors integrated into the footwear to accurately monitor the condition of the diabetic's feet.
Gait Analysis: As we age, we may experience increased foot pain in our daily lives. Conditions such as "foot eversion," in which weight is placed on the outside of the foot, or "foot inversion," in which weight is placed on the inside of the foot, can be caused. If left untreated, these foot abnormalities can develop into a serious problem of gait disturbance. Therefore, it is important to maintain proper posture in daily life and during rehabilitation.
In recent years, smart shoes have also gained attention as a tool for assessing gait and mobility impairments by utilizing physiological parameters. One study reported that gait patterns are influenced by age, personality, and even mood. These factors have a significant impact on daily life, and gait disorders can negatively affect quality of life.
Various methods have been proposed for smart shoes as an aid for gait disorders, and smart insoles made of soft materials are one of them. The insoles can analyze gait disorders in real time while maintaining comfort.
Gait analysis includes a variety of parameters such as muscle strength, joint motion, pressure distribution, and plantar pressure. Some approaches use inertial sensors or ML/DL technology to measure and analyze gait patterns. This provides a detailed picture of stride length, velocity, and foot movement.
In addition, a variety of advanced technologies are incorporated into smart shoes for monitoring posture while walking. For example, the PODOSmart system uses wireless sensor technology and microprocessors to measure spatio-temporal and kinematic gait parameters.
In addition, smart shoes that enable gait training using the Tread Port virtual reality system are under development. This technology is expected to increase the effectiveness of rehabilitation for gait disorders. Recently, smart shoes made of lightweight and flexible materials have also been introduced to provide more comfortable and effective gait assistance.
Assistive technologies for walking disabilities are evolving daily and will continue to be an important tool in the lives of many people.
Smart Shoes Application Area 3: Detection and Recognition (Fault Classification)
Physical and physiological data obtained from sensors in smart shoes is usually time-series data accumulated over time, and it is very time-consuming to manually extract and analyze necessary information from such data. Therefore, ML and DL technologies are also used in the analysis of data acquired by smart shoes.
For example, Jain et al. use accelerometer data to classify gait patterns into three categories. Aqueveque et al. also analyze pressure data from specially made sensors to classify gait patterns. Various ML- and DL-based methods are utilized to classify gait patterns.
Also, based on data from smart shoes, attempts are being made to use neural networks to recognize inward (excessive inward leaning) and outward (excessive outward leaning) rotation of the foot.
Detecting falls is another important issue, especially for the elderly and rehabilitation patients. Falls are dangerous unintentional accidents, and many smart shoes have been developed to prevent them.
The type of sensor used and the data acquisition settings have a significant impact on the analysis of gait patterns. For example, the choice of bandwidth and sampling frequency of data acquisition to accurately classify gait patterns is important. One study has shown that smart shoes combined with wireless technology and mobile applications can be effective in gait analysis, rehabilitation after hip surgery, and even fall detection.
Gait pattern analysis usingsmart shoeshas also been shown to be useful forParkinson's Disease (PD) patientsto assist in the rehabilitation process. Smart socks have also been developed to measure plantar pressure and analyze gait patterns.
Smart Shoes Market
Smart shoes are products that incorporate new technologies and are attracting growing interest, especially among the younger generation. Smart shoes are attracting attention as a useful tool for daily health management and performance improvement because of their ability to provide tailored feedback and recommendations to individual users.
The smart shoes market is projected to grow at a significant compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.7% between 2023 and 2033. The market size is estimated to be US$269 million in 2023 and is expected to exceed US$2.1 billion by 2033.
Companies are competing to meet the diverse needs of consumers. However, the more complex the design of a smart shoe, the higher the manufacturing cost tends to be. In other words, the more advanced a product is, the more technically challenging it becomes, and the higher its price goes along with it.
Despite this, interest in smart shoes continues to grow each year, and manufacturers continue to improve their technology to meet the demand. There are many different types of smart shoes on the market, and each company offers a wide range of functions and designs.
Details on smart shoes offered in the market are also summarized in the table below.Smart shoes will continue to increase their presence in the market. It will be interesting to see what kind of technology each manufacturer employs and what kind of products they offer.
Smart shoes can support health management by monitoring the user's health status and providing personalized feedback. Equipped with sensors, controllers, and processors, customized smart shoes can analyze gait and body patterns and serve as assistive devices. The research conducted by this paper has yielded several important findings.
First, sensor technology integrated into smart shoes has evolved to the point where it can provide detailed health and fitness data analysis. For example, a wide range of health indicators can be tracked, including blood oxygen levels, heart rate, and energy expenditure.
In addition, ML and DL algorithms are in the process of improving the accuracy of smart shoe data analysis and early detection of health problems. Assistive features for the visually impaired are also being introduced, such as obstacle detection, GPS tracking, and machine learning-based object identification, to develop technologies that support more independent mobility.
In addition, wireless communication technology allows real-time alerts and updates to be sent to smartphones and other devices, which is helpful in the health care of diabetics and patients with gait disorders. For example, smart shoes that monitor plantar pressure, temperature, and humidity have proven effective in preventing and managing diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs).
It has also been reported that optimizing the sampling rate is important for improving the accuracy of data analysis. With the development of adaptive sampling algorithms, smart shoes are able to adjust data collection according to the user's activity level. In addition, data can be collected and analyzed using a smartphone application, facilitating health monitoring and information sharing with health care providers.
However, the issue of battery life in smart shoes remains a challenge. To address this issue, energy recovery from walking and energy storage technologies are being introduced to power the sensors and electronic components of smart shoes. However, incorporating these advanced features increases product costs, so there is a need to create products that are cost-effective and accessible to a wide range of consumers.
Future smart shoe research directions are expected to include further advances in sensor technology to develop new sensors that can monitor a wider range of health indicators, such as blood flow and muscle activity. Also important is research on energy collection and storage, which will require new designs that can efficiently collect energy from walking and enable prolonged use.
Furthermore, machine learning and AI technologies are being introduced to utilize smart shoes for diagnosis and treatment of diseases. This is expected to enable personalized health management and improve quality of life.
In addition, it is important to develop new technologies and features to support people with disabilities and to research ways to integrate smart shoes with existing assistive devices. New protocols to enhance device security and protect privacy also need to be developed.
As smart shoes become more prevalent in the marketplace, the challenge will be to provide products that are easy for consumers to use and cost-effective.
Summary
Smart shoes represent a major advance in the field of wearable technology and offer many possibilities in health care, assistive technology, and medical applications. The integration of advanced sensor technology, energy collection systems, and machine learning algorithms is expected to revolutionize personal health care and greatly improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.
However, there are still several challenges that need to be addressed before this technology can be widely adopted. Improving the comfort and design of smart shoes, reducing costs, and ensuring data privacy and security are important. Future research also needs to address how to integrate smart shoes with other smart devices, how to incorporate sustainable materials and manufacturing processes, and how to develop more efficient energy collection and storage systems.
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