Smart socks for sports and medical applications

It looks like a normal sock, feels like a sock and is easily washable in the machine. A Saxon development, the smart sock, has a decisive advantage over conventional socks, it can communicate. Eight ultra-thin pressure sensors, embedded in a gel layer between two textile layers, report pressure distribution and acceleration of the foot to an App. Thus, after e.g. a cruciate ligament fracture, the leg can be physically loaded to 30% in a controlled way as prescribed by the physician. With a mini-computer that can be connected with the sock, it shows the wearer/ patient how he strains his feet using real-time data. If the load is too high or unilateral, the App will be alarming. Up to now, such measurements have only been carried out in the laboratory via plates embedded in the soil. With the smart sock, measurements can be carried out not only on the move, but also in everyday life. The integrated electronics of the sock measure the pressure distribution and acceleration at the foot. This allows conclusions to be drawn on parameters such as one-sided loads. The corresponding App has a graphical user interface that displays processed data in real time on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. In this way users can see exactly which foot area is stressed too much. If this happens, the App generates an alarm. Sensors also detect humidity and temperature. This opens up areas of application in pain and accident therapy, but also in performance and recreational sport.