When analyzing how a person navigates obstacles, maintains balance in moving vehicles and walkways, or adjusts their gait while crossing uneven surfaces, there is little that force plate technology can provide to enhance your research. The only way to really understand and measure the nuances that may be going unnoticed by visual observation is to capture dynamic pressure exchanges from within the subject’s shoes.
Force plate setups are a static technology, which causes some drawbacks in data collection. Often times, the subject may have to adjust their walking pattern or stance to have their foot strikes captured. Not only does this impact data collection in a controlled lab setting, but also makes it nearly impossible to assess a subject’s true walking habits out in the real world. This is a major hindrance for obtaining fall risk assessment data in true-to-life environments.
This short video shares how F-Scan™ in-shoe gait analysis technology has helped researchers gauge an individual’s ability to maintain gait and balance across challenging terrains found outside the gait lab.
https://youtu.be/AW6oJbdlFTk
Similar Uses for F-Scan in Fall Risk Assessment, and other Gait Research:
Synchronizing visual movements with force and pressure
Testing and measuring reaction time
Balance assessment
Postural sway tests
Quantifying footfall kinematics
Insole design