The study of conductive polymers has allowed us to create a pressure sensor made entirely of industrial polymeric material. Thanks to the characteristics of the materials used, we have obtained a soft, all-polymer sensor. It can detect the pressure (weight) applied on it thanks to a current measurement inside a suitable electric circuit. Our study then turned to integrating multiple pressure sensors into a single orthopedic insole. Inside it, the sensors were placed in well-defined positions, determined by orthopedic studies. The sensorized points of the orthopaedic insole were connected to an external electronics through the use of electrical contacts printed on a flexible plastic support.
The system we designed has the following advantages: real-time analysis of the person's weight distribution; complete wearability (the sensor is comfortable and this allows it to be inserted, without discomfort for the user, into any type of footwear); perfect integration with commercial products; low cost of the sensor, given the wide availability at low cost of raw materials. The goal is to develop the system, applying it to any type of shoe. Therefore it will be useful both in sports (agonistic and non-competitive), in the workplace (safety shoes) and in the orthopedic health sector, for the specific analysis of posture during static and/or dynamic activities, and in the case to arrive at a correction of the same.

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