KTP Project: Development of a ‘Foot Data Toolkit’ to be Embedded Into the Development and Identification of Relevant/New Consumer Footcare Products
A knowledge transfer partnership (KTP) project utilises links between industry and academia to implement research within industry. This project between Scholl and the University of Salford developed a foot data toolkit for testing of orthotics and collection of human gait data to be used within the product development process. This project was funded by Innovate UK and Scholl’s Wellness Company.
The project focused on methods of data collection outside of a lab environment, to enable products to be tested within the environment they will be used in. This removes restrictions present within traditional lab-based testing, allowing greater access to testing whilst increasing external validity. Utilising this data collection method will allow Scholl to collect data relating to the performance of their existing and new products, understanding the performance enables decisions to be made surrounding new design features and materials.
With the addition of a comfort equation defined using regression analysis, participant perceptions of comfort can be predicted using the biomechanics variables collected using the real-world test method. This enables comfort to be actioned using the biomechanics results, and a knowledge of insole design to cause changes in biomechanics. This method also allows comfort to be collected using Scholl staff as participants by removing the requirement for opinion. This helps by removing the requirement for external participants, speeding up the development process.
Team
Publications
RunScribe Validation https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0273308
RunScribe Sensitivity https://doi.org/10.1186/s13047-023-00654-8
Comfort Prediction https://doi.org/10.1080/19424280.2024.2363535