The instrumented shoe insole for rule-based control of gait in persons with hemiplegia

Abstract

We describe the use of an insole with five pressure sensors having small hysteresis, an inertial measurement unit, and the circuitry for wireless synchronized communication for the rule-based control of gait. The system was tested with the multichannel electronic stimulator MOTIMOVE that can receive signals from analog and digital sensors to activate up to eight muscle groups. The rule-based control implements the heuristically determined mapping of the four joint states (blocked -B, flexion - F, extension - E, loose - L) and Gait Teacher based representation of the events and phases of the gait cycle. The four joint states can be achieved by the activation of flexors (F), extensors (E), coactivation of flexors and extensors (B), and no action (L). The feasibility of the operation was tested only in a small number of persons with hemiplegia since the stimulator certification procedure required for the full clinical study is in progress