Sensitivity optimization of a foot plantar pressure micro-sensor

Measurement of interface pressure between the foot and shoe underpins a number of important applications in gait analysis. Abnormal pressure may indicate instability in gait, risks of ulceration development especially in diabetic foot as well as many other biomedical diagnostic applications. Since the currently available foot pressure sensors exhibit many limitations while the opportunity offered by MEMS technology is obvious, a new sensor design based on the micro-machining should therefore be explored. As such, this paper reports the design and analysis of a MEMS-based pressure sensor customized for foot pressure measurement. The results indicate that the pressure sensor has a high linearity output that is capable of measurement of more than 2-MPa. This characteristic offers excellent potential for the sensor's suitability for pressure measurement in a wide spectrum of biomechanical activities.