A microprocessor-based data-acquisition system for monitoring foot pressures

The authors have developed a portable, microprocessor-based data-acquisition system to measure pressures between the foot and shoe of ambulatory subjects. They attached seven pressure sensors to the surface of each insole of a pair of extra-deep shoes. They were located under the center of the heel, the five metatarsal heads, and the big toe of each foot. This system continuously collects raw pressure data for seven min at a 20 Hz sample frequency per channel. The authors then dump the data to an IBM PC for postprocessing and display. The acquisition, postprocessing, and display equipment is described, and some measurement results are reported.<>