The configuration of plantar pressure sensing cells for wearable measurement of COP coordinates

BACKGROUND: Wearable measurement of center of pressure (COP) coordinates is the key of obtaining the measurement of natural gait. Plantar pressure insole is the right sensing unit for plantar pressure monitoring for long-term outdoor measurements and the control of walking assisting exoskeleton robot. It’s necessary to study the configuration of pressure sensing cells. METHODS: This study explored the sensing cell configuration for the plantar pressure insole. The data of plantar pressure of walking is collected for layout variants. The RMSE of COP coordinates estimations are used as the evaluation criteria. RESULTS: The RMSE of COP coordinates decreases from 8.00 to 3.20 mm as the amount of pressure sensing cells increases from 2 to 7. The size of pressure sensing cells contribute to reduce the RMSE of COP coordinates and 7 pressure sensing cells, with the size of 2.0–2.5 cm have the satisfying performance. Adding pressure sensing cell in the heel and hallux area increase the accuracy of estimating COP coordinates. CONCLUSION: Comparison results indicate that the configuration of 7 pressure sensing cells has a satisfying measurement performance.