Multi-axis foot reaction force/torque sensor for biomedical applications

To support an Oak Ridge National Laboratory programs exoskeleton project, a unique multi-axis foot force/torque sensor was constructed and tested that has biomedical application such as clinical gait analysis. The challenging aspect of this multi-axis force sensor is that it had to conform to the bending of the human foot, withstand high impact loads, have high force sensitivity, feel comfortable to the human wearer, be integrated into a military style boot, measure the forces on the human foot when either the ball or the heel of the foot is in contact with the ground, respond to both positive and negative loading and have a low overall height and weight. This paper describes the design and testing of this unique sensor.