1053results about "Foot measurement devices" patented technology

The invention is a portable gait analyzer comprising of at least one independent rear foot motion collection unit, at least one independent lower shank motion collection unit, plantar pressure collection unit, at least one processing and display unit, and a soft casing unit. A plurality of accelerometers, rate sensors, force sensor resistors, and pressure sensors provide for the acquisition of acceleration signals, angular velocity signals, foot force signals, and foot pressure signals to be processed. At least one central processing unit, a plurality of memory components, input/output components and ports, telemetry components, calibration components, liquid crystal displays components for the processing and outputting of three dimensional acceleration, angular velocity, tilt, and position. The rearfoot motion collection unit and lower shank motion collection unit interact with the processing and display unit to calculate rear foot kinematic data crucial to identify the motions of pronation and supination. The plantar pressure collection unit interacts with the processing and display unit to calculate plantar pressure data crucial to identify the center of pressure line and excessive and abnormal loads on the sole of the foot. These factors of rear-foot kinematics and plantar pressure lead to gait style identification.

The invention relates to devices and methods for designing and manufacturing customized footwear, and components thereof. An example method includes a method of designing at least a portion of a sole of an article of footwear customized for a user. The method includes the steps of determining at least one input parameter related to a user, analyzing the at least one input parameter to determine at least one performance metric of a foot of the user, and determining at least one customized structural characteristic of at least a portion of a sole of an article of footwear for the user based on the performance metric.

A method for providing a custom shoe to a consumer, including identifying at least one characteristic about a consumer that is present within the retail store, the at least one characteristic relating to the consumer's foot. Also included is selecting a plurality of pre-fabricated footwear components based on the at least one characteristic, assembling the plurality of prefabricated footwear components into a custom shoe that is customized to the consumer, and presenting the custom shoe to the consumer before the customer leaves the retail store.

The invention relates to articles of footwear having traction elements, and systems and methods for manufacturing same. An example shoe includes an upper and a sole plate, the sole plate including a lower surface adapted for ground contact having a first sole portion including first traction elements, the first traction elements having a distal end and a side wall with extensions extending from a central core, and a second sole portion including second traction elements, the second traction elements having at least one geometrical feature differing in one or more aspects from a corresponding geometrical feature of the first traction elements.

A system for providing a shoe customized to a person includes a plurality of shoe cavity units each having an upper portion and a sole assembly coupled to the upper portion to form a shoe cavity configured to accommodate a foot. Also included is a plurality of interchangeable first shoe components each configured to be coupled to a shoe cavity unit and each configured to provide substantially the same first footwear function but having a different physical attribute based on differences among wearers, and a plurality of interchangeable second shoe components each configured to be coupled to a shoe cavity unit and each configured to provide substantially the same second footwear function but having a different physical attribute based on differences among wearers. A selected shoe cavity unit, a selected first shoe component and a selected second shoe component can be selected from their respective pluralities based on a characteristic of the person such that a combination of these selected items can be coupled to each other to provide a shoe customized to the person.

A method, system, and computer program product used for creating a custom footwear product. The method on which the system, and computer program product are based includes inputting in a retail store information about a characteristic of a consumer that relates to the consumer's foot, and receiving in the retail store a determination of a plurality of selected pre fabricated footwear components that have been selected based the information. Also included in the method is creating in the retail store a kit of prefabricated footwear components for the customer including the identified prefabricated footwear components to be assembled into the custom footwear product.

The present invention teaches a method of making a custom article of footwear. Further, the article of footwear can include a spring element that can provide improved cushioning, stability, and running economy. In addition, the components of the article of footwear can be selected from a wide range of options, and can be easily removed and replaced, as desired.

A method, system, and program are provided for consumer representation rendering with selected merchandise. At least one computing system, in a network or stand-alone environment, accesses a consumer representation, wherein the consumer representation comprises a three dimensional model rendered to depict a consumer appearance and movement in each frame of a captured video stream and specified by a selection of sizing measurements detected from a scan of a consumer body shape. The computing system selects at least one merchandise item from among multiple merchandise items each with separate merchandise characteristics. In particular, the computing system selects the merchandise item of a size selected to fit the selection of sizing measurements for the consumer. The computing system renders the merchandise item on each rendered frame of the three dimensional model according to the merchandise characteristics as applied to the sizing measurements, wherein a display of the rendered three dimensional model shows a realistic image of the consumer appearance and movement as captured in the video stream rendering the consumer wearing the selected merchandise item.

A method for the design and production of improved pressure reducing therapeutic shoe insoles for a person. The method includes the steps of measuring a three dimensional image of a foot and the distribution of plantar pressures applied by a person's foot being measured for a pressure reducing insole. Selecting a shoe insole outline or template which best fits or corresponds to the shape of a foot being measured. A foot display is generated which combines and aligns the three dimensional foot shape and the plantar pressure distribution. A three dimensional insole display is generated which combines and aligns the foot shape and plantar pressure distribution, and includes modifications based upon selected pressure contour lines identified within the foot display which are above predetermined pressure thresholds.

An intelligent insole for generating time sensitive information about the pressure on the foot. The insole includes a custom-made, semi-custom or generically sized orthotic component. The orthotic is laminated with a top cover and an intermediate pressure sensor having an array of capacitive pressure sensors. Signal processing equipment may be embedded in the insole or placed locally with the insole as on the side of a shoe. The processor also can connect to a wireless transmitter for relaying the information to a remote site.

Measured size data of a foot of a user is inputted into foot size data inputting unit 31, and provided to shoe last configuration data production unit 32. Also, in conversion table 33, is stored conversion data produced on the basis of the relationship between a foot size and a size of a shoe last for producing a shoe which fits in the foot determined by an experiment. Shoe last configuration data production unit 32, by referring to conversion table 33, produces ideal size data of a shoe last on the basis of inputted size data of a foot.

The present invention is directed to computer method and apparatus for providing a recommended shoe for an individual by obtaining a personalized shoe profile and providing one or more shoe recommendations that correspond to the individual's shoe profile. The present invention is particularly suitable for the online purchasing of shoes wherein through obtaining a virtual shoe profile from an individual, a plurality of recommended shoes can be displayed for the user for purchase based upon the individual's shoe profile.

A system and method for receiving footwear size and past product fit information for a user at a host computer from a client computer over a computer network, such as the Internet, is disclosed. Foot size information for the user (preferably measured in millimeters) is received from the client computer, and a recommended footwear size is determined for the selected footwear model based on the received foot size information, a length adjustment factor for the selected footwear model and past product fit information. Additionally, a width adjustment factor can be used for determining the recommended footwear size.

A foot support is prepared based upon a scan of the foot. The foot support has radial ridges and grooves on its upper and lower sections. The ridges and grooves converge at an imaginary center outside the foot print. The surface contour of the support do not duplicate the topography of the foot, but perform prescription manipulations.

The present invention is an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is directed to a system, method and computer program product for creating a three-dimensionally reconfigurable cavity. The system can include a container that is configurable to create a three dimensional cavity. The system can be operative to form a footwear last in the cavity. The last can be formed from a plastic-like material. The system can include a blow molding apparatus having at least one directional deflector. The container can be capsule, hemispherical, cylindrical, or spherical-shaped. The system can include a container having holes to receive rods. The system can include an array of rods. The rods can be movable through the container. The system can further include rods that are threaded; gear-driven; coupled to a belt; coupled to a partial belt; or belt-driven. The cavity can be formed by an inner end of the rods. If more than one rod occupies a single point of the cavity, then only one rod participates in forming the cavity and other rods will not participate. Participating rods can be selected according to an optimizing module. The software module can determine an intersection of a rod with a digitized cluster of points representing a 3 dimensional surface. A method of forming a footwear last from a collapsible and expandable last is described.

An adaptable shoe includes an upper portion and a sole assembly connected to the upper portion to provide a shoe cavity. The sole assembly includes a first sole segment, a second sole segment positioned adjacent to and substantially coplanar with the first sole segment, and a deformable member connecting the first sole segment to the second sole segment to provide a substantially planar sole assembly that can be expanded in a width direction in order to adapt the size of the shoe in a width direction.

A sensing device having a sensing arrangement with a sensing end (32) for coming into contact with a surface to be scanned of a body (26), a camera (30), and a connecting device (34) for rigidly connecting the camera with the sensing end, the camera being arranged such that it can detect a surface (12) which is provided with marks suitable to be automatically photogrammetrically evaluated and on which the body to be scanned has been placed, when the sensing end comes into contact with different points of the surface to be scanned of the body. The sensing device further has a photogrammetric evaluation program for a computing unit (18), the computing unit being configured such that image signals generated by the camera can be routed to the computing unit and the evaluation program can calculate the 3D coordinates of the surface to be scanned from the sequence of recorded and transmitted image sections using the marks (22) suitable to be automatically photogrammetrically evaluated. A method of detecting a three-dimensional spatial shape of a body, in particular the spatial shape of an interior of a hollow body, the method including the following steps: fastening the body to be digitized on a surface (12) which, at known positions, is provided with marks (22) suitable to be automatically photogrammetrically evaluated, and providing the sensing device. Further steps are the scanning of a point on the spatial shape to be detected by means of the sensing end (32) of the sensing arrangement (28), recording at least one section of the photogrammetrically marked surface by the camera (30) while the sensing end scans the point, a plurality of marks suitable to be photogrammetrically evaluated being detected, and repeating the steps of scanning and recording for a multitude of different points of the spatial shape to be detected. The recorded images are evaluated by an evaluation program.

The present invention presents a shoe or insole fitting navigation system which can determine bias in gravity center balance of foot sole accurately anytime, even when a foot sole pressure distribution has a defect part where a load can not be measured, and can select a foot-problem-care shoe or insole adequately.

The present system includes: a set of foot sole pressure measuring sensors 20 for measuring foot sole pressure distributions; a set of TV cameras 30 for taking foot images; a processor 40; and a monitor screen 50.

The present system acquires right and left foot sole pressure data by a foot sole pressure data acquisition section 41, acquires right and left foot images by a foot image acquisition section 42, computes a foot sole gravity center position of each foot by a foot sole gravity center position computing section 43, computes an outer dimension of each foot by an outer foot dimension computing section 44, and determines bias in gravity center balance of each foot accurately based on the foot sole gravity center position of each foot and the outer dimension of each foot by a gravity center balance determining section 45. In addition, the present system determines a foot abnormal symptom of each foot by a foot symptom determining section 46, and selects shoe or insole of each foot based on the determined bias in gravity center balance and the determined foot symptom by a shoe or insole selecting section 47.

A method for the design and production of improved pressure reducing therapeutic shoe insoles for a person. The method includes the steps of measuring a three dimensional image of a foot and the distribution of plantar pressures applied by a person's foot being measured for a pressure reducing insole. Selecting a shoe insole outline or template which best fits or corresponds to the shape of a foot being measured. A foot display is generated which combines and aligns the three dimensional foot shape and the plantar pressure distribution. A three dimensional insole display is generated which combines and aligns the foot shape and plantar pressure distribution, and includes modifications based upon selected pressure contour lines identified within the foot display which are above predetermined pressure thresholds.

A method and apparatus for providing a topographical map of the bottom of a patient's rear foot with the foot in a semi-weight bearing condition and in the neutral position. A flexible membrane defines the top of an air cushion that captures the patient's foot in the neutral position when the air pillow is inflated. The membrane also conforms to the bottom of the foot. A three-dimensional scanner located below the membrane measures the distances to the bottom of the membrane over an array of positions. A manufacturing facility converts these measurements into information by which computer numerical controlled equipment machines an orthotic insert for the patient's footwear.

A system for assisting shoe selection can select and present a shoe type that fits a customer by estimating the anatomical characteristics of a foot from the state of the foot. The system includes the following: a measured data input portion for measuring and inputting data that show the state of a foot of a person to be measured; a normalization processing portion for normalizing the data input from the measured data input portion and storing the normalized data at least temporarily; a shoe catalog database for storing information of a plurality of types of shoes; and a selection portion for estimating the anatomical characteristics of the foot of the person based on the normalized data, referring to the shoe catalog database based on the anatomical characteristics, and selecting and presenting a shoe type that fits the person.

Midsoles, and articles of footwear having such midsoles, with a distal surface profile based, in whole or in part, on a pressure map of pressures exerted on the bottom of a human foot when in contact with the ground are provided. The pressure map may be a measurement of the pressures exerted on the bottom of a human foot during, for example, standing, walking, or running (e.g., a natural gait). The distal surface profile of a midsole and an article of footwear may be defined, at least in part, by a plurality of cushioning projections extending from the midsole and having predetermined height profiles based on a pressure map. Methods of making midsoles and articles of footwear including a distal surface profile based, in whole or in part, on a pressure map are also provided.

A midsole for an article of footwear including a three dimensional mesh including interconnected unit cells and methods of making the same. The interconnected unit cells each include a plurality of struts defining a three dimensional shape. The interconnected unit cells are connected at nodes having a valence number defined by the number of struts connected at that node. The valence number of the nodes may vary to provide customized characteristics to zones or portions of the midsole. The plurality of interconnected unit cells may be organized in a warped cubic lattice structure. The warped cubic lattice structure and the size/shape of interconnected unit cells may vary to provide customized characteristics to zones or portions of the midsole. The three dimensional mesh may be customized based on a biometric data profile for an individual, or group of individuals. The midsole may be manufactured using an additive manufacturing process.

A system for providing a custom orthotic can include a scanner, and imager for providing a digital three-dimensional image based on the scan, a gait and pressure measuring device and a data inputting system for inputting information regarding the customer. An analysis device can be provided to make modifications to the three-dimensional image based on the customer information, and the modified three-dimensional image can be forwarded electronically to a manufacturer for production.