Grant: Engage Grants Program

ViTRAK Systems Inc. has developed a novel floor-tile pressure measurement device (PMD) system fordetecting pressure distribution between the sole of the foot and the floor tile. Due to its modular and compactdesign, the tile PMDs can be arranged in many ways depending on the desired application; tiles can be alignedfor straight and complex pathways, used individually, or fill the walking surface of a room. When a subjectwalks across the sensing surface, both pressure and spatial-temporal data are collected and analysed by theStepScan Software.Development of the tile PMD has been progressing, with redesigned electronics and firmware. During theredesign process, new sensor arrangements were discussed; preliminary work has been performed on thedevelopment of new piezoresistive sensor elements, which offer benefits that far outweigh the current sensorarrangement. Proof of concept has been established with this new sensor design, but final steps in developmentare needed to bring it to completion. These final steps include optimizing the copper-PDMS mixture for use inViTRAK's Stepscan Tile, characterizing the piezoresistive sensor material, and outlining a production processfor larger scale production.