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Differentiating Common Workplace Postures through Plantar Pressure: Laying the Groundwork for a Low-Cost Instrumented Insole

Resource type
Thesis type
(Thesis) M.A.Sc.
Date created
2017-12-05
Authors/Contributors
Abstract
Prolonged weight bearing (WBR) at work is a suspected risk factor for the development of musculoskeletal disorders that commonly occur in the feet. No objective measure to quantify time spent in different WBR postures currently exists, creating a barrier in investigating the connection between WBR and foot pain. This study aimed to develop a prototype design for a low-cost instrumented insole system capable of differentiating workplace postures (sitting, standing and walking). Three objectives were defined: 1) quantify and differentiate the pedobarographic characteristics associated with each posture, 2) classify the postures from plantar pressure characteristics and 3) develop an insole system with off-the-shelf sensors capable of classifying workplace postures. Pressure measures near the hindfoot and central/lateral forefoot were found to simultaneously differentiate the postures, and machine learning algorithms accurately classified the postures using plantar pressure metrics. This foundational work facilitates the deployment of a low-cost instrumented insole for workplace studies where it will provide the objective evidence needed to resolve the link between WBR and foot pain.
Document
Identifier
etd10513
Copyright statement
Copyright is held by the author.
Permissions
This thesis may be printed or downloaded for non-commercial research and scholarly purposes.
Scholarly level
Supervisor or Senior Supervisor
Thesis advisor: Sparrey, Carolyn
Download file Size
etd10513_KMerry.pdf 5.66 MB

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