Aragón firm invents ‘smart’ inner soles to correct foot problems

Podoactiva, a firm that specialises in podiatry and digital engineering, says this pioneering invention generates ‘big data’ about how the foot ‘behaves’ in ‘thousands of patients in real life’, through the way they move and the pressure of their step, and the relationship between these aspects and a long list of injuries affecting the feet, legs, hips and back.

According to Zaragoza University’s engineering professor Roberto Casas, who was a member of the design and development team, the ‘Smart Insole Podoactiva’ is capable of measuring ‘500 datum per second in real time’ whilst the wearer goes about his or her daily life, thanks to the Force Sensor Resistor (FSR) implants, an electronic motherboard, a battery with an IMU module, and Bluetooth technology which allows the information gathered to be sent to a mobile phone.

They are recommended for literally anyone who wears shoes – not just sportspeople or those with existing foot conditions, says head of engineering at Podoactiva, Ángel Peguero, who calls them a ‘real challenge’ in his profession.

“Knowing what is going on with a patient’s foot in between podiatrist visits is a real revolution in the field of biomechanics, since it allows us to learn about how our patients walk and step in a real-life environment,” said technical director of Podoactiva, Javier Alfaro, during a conference at the Global Sports Innovation Centre at Madrid’s Microsoft headquarters.

Olympic walker Jesús Ángel García Bragado, who took part in his seventh games in 2016, says inventions of this type ‘open a new world of possibilities’.

“Knowing how your foot is behaving whilst you’re training, whilst you’re recovering and whilst you’re at home or out in the street opens a new world of possibilities,” were García Bragado’s exact words and, as an ambassador for the brand, he says he has had ‘great confidence’ in Podoactiva ‘for years’, because of their skills in spearheading ‘progress like this’.

Smart Insole Podoactiva will be on the shelves before the end of summer and are available to mainstream retail customers, not just specialists.

Its price has not been confirmed, but it is likely to be set at an affordable level for the average buyer.

Photograph: Podoactiva