Smart shoe fixed gait

Smart shoe insert could improve mobility for people with walking problems

September 23, 2025
10:42 am

Maintaining balance while walking may seem automatic—until suddenly it isn't. Gait impairment, or difficulty with walking, is a major liability for stroke and Parkinson's patients. Not only do gait issues slow a person down, but they are also one of the top causes of falls. And solutions are often limited to time-intensive and costly physical therapy.

A new wearable electronic device that can be inserted inside any shoe may be able to address this challenge. The device, developed by Georgia Tech researchers, is made of more than 170 thin, flexible sensors that measure foot pressure—a key metric for determining whether someone is off-balance. The sensor collects pressure data, which the researchers could eventually use to predict which changes lead to falls.

The researchers presented their work in the paper, “Flexible Smart Insole and Plantar Pressure Monitoring Using Screen-Printed Nanomaterials and Piezoresistive Sensors.” It was the cover paper in the August edition of ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

Smart shoe insert could improve mobility for people with walking problems

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