Project description and overview:

Reid Print Technologies (Reid) has developed a novel sensor for measuring shear based on printed flexible substrates. The sensor has wide ranging potential applications and this project is focused on the application to a smart shoe insole which can be used to monitor the onset of foot ulcers which commonly afflict diabetes sufferers.

The concept of a smart shoe insert is not new, and most have used pressure and/or temperature sensors with a focus on measuring foot pronation to be able to better customise compensating orthotics. Whilst pronation and pressure distribution within the foot is important in relation to foot ulcers, the key factor is the rubbing action across the surface and hence measurement of friction is what is being sought by clinicians. Reid’s technology now makes that possible.

Reid’s approach essentially decouples the normal force into the surface from the lateral movement using a unique arrangement of capacitance and pressure sensors which provides the only genuine measurement of the frictional force and can monitor it as a function of position.

This project will involve:

• The design of pre-production prototypes of a smart insole incorporating
  the novel sensor
• Completion of a data collection and display software app
• Field trials in conjunction with both diabetes specialists and podiatrists
• Business development
• TGA requirements consultancy
• Data analysis
• Increasing manufacturing capacity at Reid.

The Reid solution has the ability to also measure friction occurring in different areas of the foot which is of paramount importance in application to Diabetes-related Foot Disease (DFD). Frictional data as well as the pressure data provides the ability to accurately predict the onset of DFD, so the key uniqueness and difference to all other smart insole technologies currently available is the ability to measure friction.