Provided is a biological electrode and a biological electrode-equipped wearing tool, in which a contact surface having a certain surface area is suitably brought into intimate contact with a living body, and a suitable electrical distribution is obtained. The biological electrode includes: a thin-plate-like or sheet-like wiring substrate having a lead wire portion to be connected with equipment; a plurality of electrode convex portions disposed on a surface of the wiring substrate in a state of being electrically connected with the lead wire portion; and a conductive cloth portion which is superimposed on the wiring substrate through the electrode convex portions. The conductive cloth portion is to be contacted with the surface of a living body, and electrically connected to the living body.

A quantitative gait training and/or analysis system includes one or more footwear modules that may include a piezoresistive sensor, an inertial sensor and an independent logic unit. The footwear module functions to permit the extraction of gait kinematics and evaluation thereof in real time, or data may be stored for later reduction and analysis. Embodiments relating to calibration-based estimation of kinematic gait parameters are described.

A system includes a sensor configured to generate data associated with movements of a resident for a period of time, a memory storing machine-readable instructions, and a control system arranged to provide control signals to one or more electronic devices. The control system also includes one or more processors configured to execute the machine-readable instructions to analyze the generated data associated with the movement of the resident, determine, based at least in part on the analysis, a likelihood for a fall event to occur for the resident within a predetermined amount of time, and responsive to the determination of the likelihood for the fall event satisfying a threshold, cause an operation of the one or more electronic devices to be modified.

In one example, an apparatus. includes a shoe having a sole with at least a portion of foam replaced with a composite polymeric foam, at least one probe disposed in the composite polymeric foam, a voltage detector coupled to the probe that detects voltage data generated by the composite polymeric foam, and a transformation module that converts voltage data generated by the composite polymeric foam in response to deformation events into GRF, acceleration, or pressure data. In another example, a method includes receiving voltage data produced by composite polymeric foam, the composite polymeric foam providing support and padding in the sole of a shoe, converting the voltage data to force data, comparing the force data to a profile, and transmitting, when the force data fails to fall within a threshold of the profile, a feedback signal to a physical feedback device, the feedback signal indicating a difference with the profile.

A fitness tracking system includes a shoe, a monitoring device, and a controller. The monitoring device is mounted on the shoe and includes an accelerometer configured to generate acceleration data corresponding to acceleration of a foot received by the shoe. The controller is operably connected to the accelerometer and is configured to collect sampled acceleration data by sampling the generated acceleration data, to identify foot strike data of the sampled acceleration data, to identify a local minimum of the sampled acceleration data collected prior to the foot strike data, and to determine foot strike characteristic data corresponding to the foot strike data based on an acceleration value at the local minimum.

A smartphone or other mobile computer device, general purpose or specialized, wherein the smartphone device is configured to actively control the configuration of one or more bladders, compartments, chambers or internal sipes and one or more sensors located in either one or both of a sole or a removable inner sole insert of the footwear of the user and/or located in an apparatus worn or carried by the user, glued unto the user, or implanted in the user. The one or more bladders, compartments, chambers, or sipes, and one or more sensors are configured for computer control. A sole and/or a removable inner sole insert for footwear, including one or more bladders, compartments, chambers, internal sipes and sensors in the sole and/or in a removable insert; or on an insole; all being configured for control by a smartphone or other mobile computer device, general purpose or specialized.

A wearable device and a method of operating the same are provided. The wearable device includes a shoe assembly, a plurality of pressure sensors, a processing circuit and an alarm module. The plurality of pressure sensors are disposed on the shoe assembly and configured to generate a plurality of pressure sensing values. The processing circuit is configured to calculate a center of gravity coordinate according to the plurality of pressure sensing values and coordinates of the plurality of pressure sensors, and generate a determination result according to the center of gravity coordinate. The alarm module is configured to output an alarm signal to perform an alarm function.

A smartphone or other mobile computer device, general purpose or specialized, wherein the smartphone device is configured to actively control the configuration of one or more bladders, compartments, chambers or internal sipes and one or more sensors located in either one or both of a sole or a removable inner sole insert of the footwear of the user and/or located in an apparatus worn or carried by the user, glued unto the user, or implanted in the user. The one or more bladders, compartments, chambers, or sipes, and one or more sensors are configured for computer control. A sole and/or a removable inner sole insert for footwear, including one or more bladders, compartments, chambers, internal sipes and sensors in the sole and/or in a removable insert; or on an insole; all being configured for control by a smartphone or other mobile computer device, general purpose or specialized.

Sensors capable of sensing shear and normal forces and suitable for measuring reaction forces on a body region of an individual, and systems and methods. Such a sensor includes a first plate and multiple second plates that are separated from the first plate by a dielectric material to define multiple capacitor units that are each responsive to normal and shear forces applied to the sensor. Each capacitor unit comprises an individual second plate of the second plates and a portion of the first plate that is superimposed by the individual second plate. The second plates are superimposed on the first plate so that a shear force applied to the sensor causes a first portion of at least one of the second plates to not be superimposed on the first plate while a remaining portion of the second plate remains superimposed on the first plate to define a superimposed area therebetween.

A monitoring system includes a shoe and a sole integrated into the shoe. The monitoring system also includes a connection mechanism attached to an underside of the sole and is shaped to connect the sole to a pedal. A pressure sensor is incorporated into the shoe that senses a force exerted on the pedal when the shoe is connected to the pedal through the connection mechanism.