Reviewed by Lexie CornerApr 22 2025
Researchers at The Ohio State University have developed a smart insole system that monitors a person's gait in real time. This technology could help users improve posture and provide early detection of conditions such as plantar fasciitis and Parkinson’s disease.
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The system includes 22 miniature pressure sensors and is powered by small solar panels integrated into the tops of shoes. It provides real-time health monitoring by analyzing an individual's walking pattern, a biomechanical process unique to each person.
Jinghua Li, Co-Author of the study and Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at The Ohio State University, explained that this detailed personal health data can be transmitted via Bluetooth to a smartphone for rapid analysis.
Our bodies carry lots of useful information that we’re not even aware of. These statuses also change over time, so it’s our goal to use electronics to extract and decode those signals to encourage better self-health care checks.
Jinghua Li, Study Co-Author and Assistant Professor, Materials Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University
It is estimated that at least 7 % of Americans experience difficulties with ambulatory activities such as walking, running, or climbing stairs. While wearable insole-based pressure monitoring systems have gained attention in recent years, many earlier prototypes faced issues with limited power and inconsistent performance.
To address these shortcomings, Li and Qi Wang, the study's lead author and a doctoral student in materials science and engineering at Ohio State, focused on making their wearable device durable, highly precise in data collection and analysis, and capable of providing consistent and reliable power, according to Li.
Our device is innovative in terms of high resolution, spatial sensing, self-powering capability, and its ability to combine with machine learning algorithms. So we feel like this research can go further based on the pioneering successes of this field.
Jinghua Li, Study Co-Author and Assistant Professor, Materials Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University
What distinguishes this system is its integration of artificial intelligence. Using an advanced machine learning model, the wearable device can identify eight distinct motion states, ranging from static postures like sitting and standing to more dynamic movements such as running and squatting.
The insoles are made from flexible, safe materials, making the device low-risk and suitable for continuous use, similar to a smartwatch. Solar cells convert sunlight into energy, which is stored in miniature lithium batteries designed to be harmless to the user and non-disruptive to daily activities.
The sensors are strategically distributed from toe to heel, allowing the researchers to observe pressure distribution across different parts of the foot during activities like walking and running. They found that during walking, pressure is applied sequentially from the heel to the toes, while running involves near-simultaneous pressure across almost all sensors. Additionally, pressure application during walking constitutes about half of the total time, while in running, it accounts for only about a quarter.
In healthcare, these smart insoles could assist in gait analysis to detect early signs of abnormalities related to foot pressure, such as diabetic foot ulcers, musculoskeletal disorders like plantar fasciitis, and neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease.
The system also uses machine learning to categorize different types of motion. This opens possibilities for personalized health management, including real-time posture correction, injury prevention, and rehabilitation monitoring. The researchers also suggest that customized fitness training could be a future application.
The study noted that these smart insoles showed no significant performance decline after undergoing 180,000 cycles of compression and decompression, demonstrating long-term durability.
“The interface is flexible and quite thin, so even during repetitive deformation, it can remain functional. The combination of the software and hardware means it isn’t as limited,” said Li.
The researchers expect this technology to be commercially available within the next three to five years. Future work will focus on enhancing the system's ability to recognize gestures, which, according to Li, will likely improve through further testing across a wider range of populations.
“We have so many variations among individuals, so demonstrating and training these fantastic capabilities on different populations is something we need to give further attention to,” said Li.
Journal Reference:
Wang, Q., et al. (2025) A wireless, self-powered smart insole for gait monitoring and recognition via nonlinear synergistic pressure sensing. Science Advances. doi/10.1126/sciadv.adu1598.