Foot analysis takes a step forward

Published On Wed 26 Mar 2014 by Roddy Isles

A unique system developed at the University of Dundee could revolutionise the design of specialist footwear for people with a range of conditions.

Using advanced video techniques to capture measurements of the foot in motion, a team at the University’s Institute of Motion Analysis and Research (IMAR) have found it is possible to build a frame-by-frame reconstruction of the shape of the foot as it changes throughout each step.

By identifying pressure points and areas where the foot needs support, the system will allow the development of more precise and better shaped insoles and shoes for patients who need custom footwear.

“The foot provides a crucial contribution to our balance and stability and for patients who have problems with their gait it is vital that we are able to provide them with footwear that offers the best possible support,” said Professor Rami Abboud, Head of the Department of Orthopaedic & Trauma Surgery in the School of Medicine at Dundee and Director of IMAR.

“What we have developed, in collaboration with Professor Emanuele Trucco of the School of Computing at Dundee, is the first system of its kind, based around a dynamic foot modelling which shows how the shape and behaviour of the foot changes throughout a whole step.

“As you move through a whole step, the shape and structure of the foot change and different pressure points are applied. For people with problems with their gait, we can identify exactly where they are having an issue and then design supporting footwear which will hopefully help ease their problem.

“There are existing foot scanners which are commercially available and provide static 3D reconstructions of the foot, but these are expensive. What we have demonstrated is a 4D Foot Reconstruction System using a camera and LCD projector which provides better results.”

The system developed by the IMAR team uses a video camera and LCD projector, both embedded in a pit in a dedicated walkway. As the patient walks over the pit, the motion of their foot is captured in full, producing a set of images.

The results of the research are published in the Journal of Foot and Ankle Research.

The IMAR team was recently featured on the BBC4 programme `Dissected: The Incredible Human Foot’.

Contact:
Roddy Isles
Head of Press
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN.
TEL: 01382 384910
MOBILE: 07800 581902
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk