Pressure sensitive insoles are an emerging and promising technology that has always been interesting for gait and planar pressure related applications. This technology can be especially valuable for monitoring, movement, and rehabilitation purposes where the pressure sensing insoles could be utilized to assess for abnormalities in order to treat or prevent complications. This thesis project explores the use of graphene coated resistive textiles based smart insoles with the purpose of constructing a functional, easy to fabricate prototype that is viable for plantar pressure and gait cycle applications. This project follows a double diamond, co-productive approach with multiple stakeholders involved during the discovery, definition, development, and delivery of the project to co-create knowledge of value for society. The results of the thesis project present three functional prototypes with 3, 4 and 6 pressure sensors with the 4-sensor prototype indicating to be the most feasible out of the three. The highlight of the prototypes features is that it is capable of detecting and measuring pressure, operates with durable and thin properties and low accuracy. Through proper calibration with an ADC tool, the prototype was able to detect and measure movement during testing. Furthermore, several areas with a room for improvement have been identified with potential for further automating the production process as well as unlocking barriers for certain applications with a cost effective approach. In conclusion, this thesis project contributes to the advancement of smart insoles by presenting a functional, easy to fabricate method for the production of smart insoles for low accuracy gait cycle and plantar pressure applications.

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Philosophiae Doctor - PhD (Chemistry) / Lithium ion capacitors are new and promising class of energy storage devices formed from a combination of lithium-ion battery electrode materials with those of supercapacitors. They exhibit better electrochemical properties in terms of energy and power densities than the above mentioned storage systems. In this work, lithium manganese oxide spinel (LiMn2O4; LMO) and lithium manganese phosphate (LiMnPO4; LMP) as well as their respective nickel-doped graphenised derivatives (G-LMNO and G-LMNP) were synthesized and each cathode material used to fabricate lithium ion capacitors in an electrochemical assembly that utilised activated carbon (AC) as the negative electrode and lithium sulphate electrolyte in a two-electrode system. The synthetic protocol for the preparation of the materials followed a simple solvothermal route with subsequent calcination at 500 - 800 ?C. The morphological, structural and electrochemical properties of the as prepared materials were thoroughly investigated through various characterisation techniques involving High resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM), High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and Galvanostatic charge/discharge.