Pressure distribution measurement system PLANTOGRAF V12 and its electrodes configuration
Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Engineering, Kamycka 129, CZ-16521 Prague, Czech Republic; *Correspondence: volf@tf.czu.cz Abstract: This paper describes Plantograf V12, which is used for the investigation of the pressure distribution between an object, e.g. a foot sole or a tire tread pattern, and the transducer. It can be used for analysing steps, assessing the great joints and improving stability, as well as in the fields of sport medicine and car industry. The system processes variable time pressure signals in real time. The instrument has 16,400 sensors (with a diameter of 2.5 mm each in a matrix arrangement of 128 x 128) concentrated in the active area as large as 500 x 500 mm; it is able to sample and process up to 1,000 frames per second. A full frame is created by all 16,400 sensors. The pressure distribution frame is represented in 256 colour levels in a 2D or 3D model view and it is possible to post-process the measured data on a PC. The design of the electrodes, the properties of the transducers, the operating software and the pressure distribution measurements in biomechanics are presented in this article. Key words: Plantograf, conductive elastomer, electrodes, pressure distribution, tactile transducer.INTRODUCTION
Abstract:
Plantograf V12 is a tactile transducer that is able to pick up tactile information froma particular object and convert this information into an electrical signal. This sensor is used in the following applications: measurement of static and dynamic pressure distribution, human steps analysis, sitting position analysis, pressure distribution, the analysis of a flat human foot, and the analysis of the status of great joints (Volf et al., 1997; Volf et al., 2001). Plantograf V12 should fulfil the following conditions: the sensor should not affect the measured pressure distribution results, it should measure both static and dynamic load, and it should have sufficient sensitivity and accuracy in each point of the sensor matrix for the given application. These parameters are specified in a table of technical parameters of the Plantograf. This paper focuses on the description of the Plantograf V12 matrix design, the optimal electrode size determination, and the properties of the operating software.