Research Project
2026708
Over the years the usage of force plates as a quantitative gait assessment tool has increased. However, the basic design of this equipment, since its introduction some 50 years ago, has not changed. During a gait test, in order to have correct ad complete ground reaction information for one foot, only that foot should make contact with the force plate, and there should be no contact with the uninstrumented part of the walkway. When subjects with disabilities are tested, collecting such valid data usually becomes a very time consuming task. Therefore, it would be very desirable to have a ground reaction force measurement system where this limitation in the test protocol has been eliminated. The specific aim of this proposal is to study the feasibility of developing a force plate system which will facilitate gait analysis of the disabled and the elderly population. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION This research has the potential of developing a system which will make current force plate systems obsolete. The proposed system is expected to be cost effective and affordable in the clinical setting as well as the research setting. This system will be an extremely important improvement in the diagnosis of gait disorders, determining intervention and treatment procedures, and in tracking patient progression through a treatment protocol.
