The aim of this research was to specify and develop a service that is capable of delivering personalisable running shoes with mass appeal. Current sports footwear personalisation services focus primarily on aesthetic design via the internet. Aesthetics do not appear to be the consumers primary interest when purchasing running shoes and a large number are also reluctant to purchase online; preferring to purchase from specialist running stores where they receive the advice needed and can directly interact with the product. After reviewing the literature, it was hypothesised that the implementation of a primarily comfort and performance running shoe personalisation service with an in store fitting element, utilising additive manufacturing as an enabling technology, would give the greatest opportunity for success. Survey methods and store visits were employed that targeted both qualitative and quantitative data, exploring consumer running shoe purchase preferences, running shoe use and opinions of current personalisation services. The findings from these studies supported the previously stated hypothesis and enabled the specification of a suitable service. Subsequently, the focus of this research was the development of a toolkit, a computer-based system that enables the consumer to make their selections, the core of most of the current services. Experts in biomechanics and additive manufacturing were consulted to ensure that a feasible yet innovative solution was delivered. The resultant toolkit prototype (www.yourstep.co.uk) was tested formatively, using multiple methods and summatively with a large sample. Using the toolkit was considered an enjoyable, intuitive experience; a large percentage (69%) of summative testing participants would consider purchasing personalised running shoes using this method. The approach adopted to specify and develop this service provides a framework, based upon empirical research, for those looking to implement a practical running shoe personalisation service that meets their consumers requirements.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the amount of change in transverse tibial rotation at the knee achieved through the use of shoe modification. In addition, an attempt to evaluate the Q-angle dynamically through the stance phase to reflect changes in transverse tibial rotation was made. Ten male subjects were filmed as they ran on a treadmill at a 2.82 m/sec pace and transverse tibial rotation data was collected simultaneously from an affixed electrogoniometer at the knee joint. The subjects were tested under three conditions: 1) barefoot, 2) running shoe, and 3) shoe plus standard orthotic. The results of the study showed that an unprescribed, standard orthotic was ineffective in changing foot pronation and transverse tibial rotation at the knee. It also showed that there was no relationship between leg-heel alignment measurements of pronation and electrogoniometric measurements of transverse tibial rotation. Q-angle measurements could not be obtained from the film date due to difficulty in visualizing body landmarks.

Title: Research on purchasing behaviour of runners in choosing running shoes Objectives: The main objective of this thesis is to identify and describe purchasing behaviour of runners in all the phases of choosing running shoes. Purchasing behaviour is therefore investigated in the phase before purchasing running shoes, when purchasing running shoes and after that as well. Methods: An online survey method through a specialized website Click4survey has been used to obtain the resulting data. A questionnaire consisting of 26 questions, which helped to determine the results and to achieve the objectives of this thesis, was created on this website. Results: Purchasing behavior of runners in choosing running shoes was described based on information obtained from the online questionnaire. Runners collect information mostly from the internet, they highlight the comfort of the running shoes and they belong rather to satisfied and loyal customers. The ascertained values have brought also other interesting findings and also have brought a new perspective on the issue of purchasing behavior and decision-making process of a very specific customer group, the runners. Key words: running shoes, runners, purchasing behaviour, marketing research

Author: Bc. Zuzana Vacková Title: Effect of Barefoot shoes on the footprint loading Objectives: The aim of this experiment is to evaluate if barefoot shoes affect the size of vertical component of contact force during walking on a smooth non- abrasive surface during normal conditions. Furthermore to find out which parameters can be used to monitor the degree of convergence foot behaviour during the stance phase of gait cycle with the barefoot and barefoot shoes. Methods: Seven probands (4 women, 3 men) aged 23 to 25 years participated at the study. The dynamic gait parameters (reaction forces from the pad) were measured using Kistler force plates in the extreme load laboratory at FTVS UK. Probands after introduction to the experiment went repeatedly over the power plate subjectively comfortable speed. The first measurement were done while walking in the barefoot type of shoes. The second measurement was barefoot walking. It was a one-time measurement. The obtained data were exported from BioWare® program into MS Excel. The final data processing was carried out in the MatLab program, where the necessary graphs of reaction forces and their evaluation were created. Results: All contact forces and their resultant and CoP coordinates were recorded during measurements. Only the vertical contact force...

O objetivo geral do estudo foi investigar o impacto do calçado minimalista e dos calçados esportivos com entressola de termoplástico Poliuretano expandido (TPE) sobre os parâmetros fisiológicos e o desempenho durante a corrida. O estudo 1 comparou o calçado minimalista e o calçado com TPE na economia de corrida (EC) e o desempenho. Doze corredores homens foram submetidos aos seguintes testes: a) teste progressivo até a exaustão para caracterização da amostra; b) duas corridas contrarrelógio de 3 km em uma pista de atletismo de 400 m e ao final dos testes responderam uma avaliação de conforto. c) quatro testes de corrida submáxima de 6 minutos em uma esteira para determinar a EC, o custo de oxigênio (CTO2) e a componente vertical da força reação do solo. Houve uma maior EC (~2,4%) (P = 0,01), aumento do primeiro pico (~15,8%) (P = 0,01) e diminuição da taxa de propulsão (~15,9%) (P = 0,01) no TPE em comparação ao calçado minimalista. No entanto, não houve diferenças significativas entre TPE e minimalistas para CTO2 (P = 0,61) e desempenho total de corrida (P = 0,61). Essas descobertas revelaram que o calçado TPE produz uma EC maior e uma taxa de propulsão mais baixa em comparação com calçados minimalistas, mas essas melhorias não foram acompanhadas por mudanças no CTO2 e, consequentemente, no desempenho na corrida. O estudo 2 comparou 3 calçados com diferenças percentuais de TPE inserido na entressola. As principais diferenças metodológicas foram a análise da EMG e o teste de corrida de 10 km. Não houve diferença estatística entre os calçados para as variáveis EC, componente vertical da força reação do solo (FRS), EMG e desempenho. A análise de regressão revelou que 96% do desempenho em uma prova de 10 km podem ser explicados pelas variáveis altura do arco e controle médio-lateral para o modelo de calçado TPE 55%. Nenhuma variável biomecânica analisada neste estudo foi capaz de identificar alguma diferença que pudesse estabelecer uma diferença entre os calçados que repercutisse em desempenho ou EC. Os resultados práticos dos estudos revelaram que correr com calçado TPE melhora a EC em comparação ao calçado minimalista. No entanto, a melhora na EC não se refletiu em desempenho no teste de corrida de 3 km. Diferentes porcentagens de TPE inseridos na entressola do calçado não produziram diferenças na EC e desempenho em uma prova de 10km. Desta forma, ainda não é possível dizer qual calçado é capaz de reduzir o tempo gasto em uma prova de corrida de curta ou longa duração / The overall objective of the study was to investigate the impact of minimalist footwear and sports shoes with midsole thermoplastic expanded polyurethane (TPE) on physiological parameters and performance during running. Study 1 compared minimalist shoes and TPE shoes in running economy and performance. Twelve male distance runners performed the following tests: a) a maximal incremental test to characterize the sample; b) two 3-km time-trials on an outdoor 400 m track and at the end of tests answered an evaluation of comfort. c) four 6-min submaximal running tests on a treadmill to determine the RE, energetic cost (CTO2) of 3 km running time-trial and ground reaction force parameters. The athletes performed the sub-maximal running tests and 3-km time trials using the TPE and minimalist shoes. There was a higher RE (~2.4%) (P = 0.01), increased first peak (~15.8%) (P = 0.01), and decrease push-off rate (~15.9%) (P = 0.01) in TPU compared with minimalist shoes. However, there were not significant differences TPU and minimalist shoes for CTO2 (P = 0.61) and overall running performance (P = 0.61). These findings revealed that TPU produces a higher RE and a lower push-off rate when compared to minimalist shoes, but these improvements were not accompanied by changes in CTO2 and, consequently in running performance. Study 2 compared 3 shoes with differences percentage TPE inserted in the midsole. The main methodological differences were the EMG analysis and the 10 km running time-trial. There was no statistical difference between shoes for the EC, vertical component of ground reaction force and EMG. Regression analysis revealed that 96% of the performance in a 10 km running time-trial can be explained by the variable height of the arch and medial-lateral control to the shoe model TPE 55%. No biomechanical variable analyzed in this study was able to identify any differences that could establish a difference between the shoes that had repercussions on RE or performance. The practical results of the studies have shown that running with TPE improves the RE compared to minimalist shoes. However, the improvement in RE was not reflected in performance in the 3-km running time-trial. Different percentages of TPE inserted in the shoe midsole did not produce differences in RE and performance in a 10km running time-trial. Thus, it is not possible to tell which shoes is able to reduce the time spent on a short or long running race

A busca por um calçado adequado à prática de futsal e que promova conforto ao usuário são circunstâncias que nos levam ao tema central deste estudo: investigar o calçado de futsal em seus parâmetros mecânicos, biomecânicos e perceptivos. O estudo constou de 4 etapas. Foi aplicado um questionário a 206 atletas e foram avaliados três modelos de calçado para prática de futsal em seus aspectos de construção, respostas biomecânicas e percepção. Participaram 10 voluntários, atletas de futsal e foram avaliados: a) massa, resistência e dureza do calçado; b) temperatura de aquecimento do pé (termo-higrômetro digital); c) variação da radiação térmica do calçado (câmera térmica Eletrophyiscs PV320T); d) pressão plantar (palmilhas Pedar Novel System); e) força de reação do solo (plataforma de força AMTI) e f) percepção do usuário (escala visual). O aquecimento do pé e do cabedal foi analisado após corrida em esteira a 10km/h. Para coleta dos parâmetros de pressão plantar e força de reação do solo os voluntários realizaram 10 tentativas válidas dos movimentos de corrida a 15km/h±5% e 5 tentativas para o movimento de passe a 8km/h±5%. Após isso os voluntários avaliaram os calçados testados por uma escala com pontuação de 1 a 10 para conforto e calce. O questionário apontou que o conforto e a flexibilidade são as principais características do calçado na opinião dos atletas. Lesões do tipo calos e bolhas são freqüentes, concentradas no calcanhar e dedos. Verificaram-se diferenças significativas entre os três modelos na massa, dureza e resistência dos calçados à flexão. O incremento de temperatura do pé foi de 4,8°C e a variação de emissão de radiação térmica pelo cabedal de 68,7%, sem diferenças entre os modelos para estas variáveis. Para o movimento de corrida, o gradiente de crescimento da componente vertical foi menor no Modelo A, sendo 16,7% maior para o modelo B e 22,6% maior para o modelo C. Para o movimento de passe o segundo pico de força vertical e a força horizontal mínima foram respectivamente 12,6% e 20,2% maiores nos modelos B e C em relação ao modelo A. Os picos de pressão para o passe foram 25% superiores nos modelos B e C na região do calcanhar, enquanto para o médio pé e hálux foram, respectivamente, 10% e 35% superiores no modelo A. O modelo A obteve pontuação significativamente maior para o conforto, flexibilidade do calçado e sensação de seco em relação aos modelos B e C. O modelo A, percebido como mais confortável, foi também aquele que apresentou as maiores dimensões, maior massa, menor resistência a flexão, menor dureza de solado, menor gradiente de crescimento da componente vertical da força de reação do solo e menores picos de pressão plantar para o calcanhar. Concluí-se que as diferenças nas respostas biomecânicas entre os diferentes modelos foram poucas, assim como as diferenças na confecção dos calçados. Acredita-se que tais resultados possam fornecer informações pertinentes ao calçado de futsal e subsídios às empresas calçadistas para melhoria na confecção do calçado esportivo / The search for suitable shoes to practice futsal and that provides comfort are circumstances that lead us to the theme of this study: to investigate the indoor soccer shoes in the mechanical, biomechanical and perceptual parameters. The study consisted of four phases in which three models of indoor soccer shoes (A, B, C) were examined in the aspects of construction, biomechanical responses and perception. Then volunteers participated and were evaluated: a) shoes mass, resistance of bending and hardness; b) shoes upper warm up temperature (infrared camera Eletrophyiscs PV320T), c) foot skin temperature (digital thermo-hygrometer), d) plantar pressure (Pedar insoles Novel System), e) ground reaction forces (AMTI force plate) and f) perception during the use (VAS). The foot and shoe upper temperatures were analyzed after each volunteer running on a treadmill at 2.7m/s. The data acquisition of plantar pressure and ground reaction force the volunteers performed 10 valid running trials at 4.2m/s ± 5% and 5 valid pass movement trials at 2.2m/s± 5%. Perception test was giving by score feedback volunteers. The scores were from 1 up to 10. A significant difference in the resistance to bending, the hardness among the three models was found. No differences were observed between the temperature of shoe upper and of the foot skin. To the running, the loading rate was lower in Model A, and 16.7% higher for the model B and 22.6% higher for Model C. To the pass movement the second peak of vertical force and the minimum horizontal force were 12.6% and 20.2% higher in Models B and C compared to the Model A, respectively. The peak pressure to the pass were 25% higher in Models B and C in the heel area, while the peaks for the hallux and midfoot area were respectively 10% and 35% higher than in Model A. The comfort score, flexibility and shoe dry score were as higher in Model A, in comparison the Models B and C. The shoe model A was considered as more comfortable, it was that one with more mass, lower resistance of bending, lower loading rate and lower peak of pressure in the heel. As conclusion, was verified that it is possible to observe differences in the biomechanical and perceptual responses to different mechanical characteristics of the indoor soccer shoes. We believe yet, that these results can provide relevant information about the indoor soccer shoes and give information to the footwear companies to improve the manufacture of sports shoes

O objetivo desse estudo é: (a) verificar o efeito do desgaste do calçado na Força de Reação do Solo (FRS) e na distribuição de pressão plantar e (b) verificar a influência do desgaste em calçados de diferentes destinações de uso. Três sujeitos participaram desse estudo, usando cada um quatro calçados de corrida, sendo dois de treinamento (T1 e T2) e dois de competição (C1 e C2). Os calçados foram submetidos ao uso correspondente a 300km. As coletas de dados foram feitas, com o calçado novo e após 100, 200 e 300km de uso, utilizando o sistema Gaitway e o sistema F-Scan. Nos calçados novos, na FRS, a Taxa de Crescimento1 (TC1) foi significativamente maior no calçado C2, do que nos calçados C1 e T2. Na distribuição de pressão plantar, pequena diferença foi observada na Área total (AT) e nos picos de pressão, entre os calçados. Na influência do desgaste nos resultados de grupo, na FRS, o TC1 apresentou valores semelhantes entre as condições Novo e 300km, portanto o choque mecânico não se alterou. Na fase ativa da FRS, oscilações pequenas foram observadas e atribuídas a possíveis variações naturais do movimento, conforme descrito por SERRÃO (1999) e WINTER (1991). Na distribuição de pressão, a AT apresentou um aumento significativo da condição Novo, para as demais condições de uso. O aumento da área foi atribuído à possível compactação do calçado, sendo que essa alteração justificaria a crença de que o calçado novo precise ser amaciado. Entre os picos de pressão analisados, apenas o Pico de Pressão do Antepé (PPA) apresentou diminuição significativa nos valores, da condição Novo para os 300km. Observou-se que após o desgaste imposto, o estresse mecânico se manteve ou se apresentou menor que nas condições iniciais. Na análise da influência do desgaste nos diferentes calçados, para TC1, as diferenças que inicialmente eram significativas tornaram-se não significativas, a partir dos 200km, entre os calçados C1, C2 e T2. Os parâmetros da fase ativa foram pouco influenciados, porém influenciados de forma distinta pelo desgaste, nos calçados analisados. Na distribuição de pressão plantar, a área de contato foi influenciada de forma distinta em cada calçado. Nos picos de pressão plantar, grandes variações foram observadas, porém não atribuíveis ao desgaste promovido no calçado. Conclui-se que o desgaste, correspondente a 300km, pouco alterou o choque mecânico e o estresse mecânico nos calçados analisados. Por meio da destinação de uso, não é possível prever a resposta de calçados de treinamento e de competição ao indivíduo, nem supor que a durabilidade do calçado de competição seja menor do que a do calçado de treinamento / The objective of this study is: (a) to verify the effect of footwear usage on the Ground Reaction Force (GRF) and on the Plantar Pressure Distribution and (b) to verify the influence of usage in footwear of different destinations of use. Three subjects had participated of this study, each one received four running shoes, two of them are designated for training regimen (T1 and T2) and two of them for competition (C1 and C2). The footwears were used for 300km. The data collections were made in four different moments, with new footwear and after 100, 200 and 300km of use, using the Gaitway system and the F-Scan system. When footwear was new, the Loading Rate1 (LR1) was significantly higher in footwear C2, than in the footwears C1 and T2. Analyzing plantar pressure distribution, small differences were observed in the Total Contact Area (TCA) and in the peak of pressure, between the footwears. In the analysis of the different usage stages, the LR1 presented similar values between the conditions New and 300km, therefore the mechanical shock did not enhanced. In the active phase of the GRF, small oscillations were observed and attributed to the possible natural variations of the movement itself, as described before by SERRÃO (1999) and WINTER (1991). In pressure distribution, the TCA showed a significant increase from the New condition, for the other conditions of use. The increase of contact area was attributed to the possible compactation of the footwear?s material, if so this would justify the belief that the new footwear needs to be softened. Considering all peak pressure variables, only Forefoot Peak Pressure (FPP) presented significant reduction in its values, from the New condition for 300km. Therefore it could be assumed that after corresponding usage of 300km, the mechanical stress remained the same or decreased compared with the earlier conditions of use. The shoes of different destinations when analyzed through the conditions, showed that the differences for LR1 that initially were significant had become not significant, from 200km, between the footwear C1, C2 and T2. In the pressure peaks plantar, great variations had been observed, however not attributable to the usage. The conclusion is that usage, correspondent 300km, has little effect on mechanical shock and on mechanical stress on the footwear analyzed in this study. By means of the use destination, it is not possible to foresee the answer of footwear to the individual, nor to assume that the durability of the footwear are worse in competition shoes than in training shoes

O objetivo geral do estudo foi investigar o impacto do calçado minimalista e dos calçados esportivos com entressola de termoplástico Poliuretano expandido (TPE) sobre os parâmetros fisiológicos e o desempenho durante a corrida. O estudo 1 comparou o calçado minimalista e o calçado com TPE na economia de corrida (EC) e o desempenho. Doze corredores homens foram submetidos aos seguintes testes: a) teste progressivo até a exaustão para caracterização da amostra; b) duas corridas contrarrelógio de 3 km em uma pista de atletismo de 400 m e ao final dos testes responderam uma avaliação de conforto. c) quatro testes de corrida submáxima de 6 minutos em uma esteira para determinar a EC, o custo de oxigênio (CTO2) e a componente vertical da força reação do solo. Houve uma maior EC (~2,4%) (P = 0,01), aumento do primeiro pico (~15,8%) (P = 0,01) e diminuição da taxa de propulsão (~15,9%) (P = 0,01) no TPE em comparação ao calçado minimalista. No entanto, não houve diferenças significativas entre TPE e minimalistas para CTO2 (P = 0,61) e desempenho total de corrida (P = 0,61). Essas descobertas revelaram que o calçado TPE produz uma EC maior e uma taxa de propulsão mais baixa em comparação com calçados minimalistas, mas essas melhorias não foram acompanhadas por mudanças no CTO2 e, consequentemente, no desempenho na corrida. O estudo 2 comparou 3 calçados com diferenças percentuais de TPE inserido na entressola. As principais diferenças metodológicas foram a análise da EMG e o teste de corrida de 10 km. Não houve diferença estatística entre os calçados para as variáveis EC, componente vertical da força reação do solo (FRS), EMG e desempenho. A análise de regressão revelou que 96% do desempenho em uma prova de 10 km podem ser explicados pelas variáveis altura do arco e controle médio-lateral para o modelo de calçado TPE 55%. Nenhuma variável biomecânica analisada neste estudo foi capaz de identificar alguma diferença que pudesse estabelecer uma diferença entre os calçados que repercutisse em desempenho ou EC. Os resultados práticos dos estudos revelaram que correr com calçado TPE melhora a EC em comparação ao calçado minimalista. No entanto, a melhora na EC não se refletiu em desempenho no teste de corrida de 3 km. Diferentes porcentagens de TPE inseridos na entressola do calçado não produziram diferenças na EC e desempenho em uma prova de 10km. Desta forma, ainda não é possível dizer qual calçado é capaz de reduzir o tempo gasto em uma prova de corrida de curta ou longa duração / The overall objective of the study was to investigate the impact of minimalist footwear and sports shoes with midsole thermoplastic expanded polyurethane (TPE) on physiological parameters and performance during running. Study 1 compared minimalist shoes and TPE shoes in running economy and performance. Twelve male distance runners performed the following tests: a) a maximal incremental test to characterize the sample; b) two 3-km time-trials on an outdoor 400 m track and at the end of tests answered an evaluation of comfort. c) four 6-min submaximal running tests on a treadmill to determine the RE, energetic cost (CTO2) of 3 km running time-trial and ground reaction force parameters. The athletes performed the sub-maximal running tests and 3-km time trials using the TPE and minimalist shoes. There was a higher RE (~2.4%) (P = 0.01), increased first peak (~15.8%) (P = 0.01), and decrease push-off rate (~15.9%) (P = 0.01) in TPU compared with minimalist shoes. However, there were not significant differences TPU and minimalist shoes for CTO2 (P = 0.61) and overall running performance (P = 0.61). These findings revealed that TPU produces a higher RE and a lower push-off rate when compared to minimalist shoes, but these improvements were not accompanied by changes in CTO2 and, consequently in running performance. Study 2 compared 3 shoes with differences percentage TPE inserted in the midsole. The main methodological differences were the EMG analysis and the 10 km running time-trial. There was no statistical difference between shoes for the EC, vertical component of ground reaction force and EMG. Regression analysis revealed that 96% of the performance in a 10 km running time-trial can be explained by the variable height of the arch and medial-lateral control to the shoe model TPE 55%. No biomechanical variable analyzed in this study was able to identify any differences that could establish a difference between the shoes that had repercussions on RE or performance. The practical results of the studies have shown that running with TPE improves the RE compared to minimalist shoes. However, the improvement in RE was not reflected in performance in the 3-km running time-trial. Different percentages of TPE inserted in the shoe midsole did not produce differences in RE and performance in a 10km running time-trial. Thus, it is not possible to tell which shoes is able to reduce the time spent on a short or long running race

People are increasingly recognizing how their health affects their quality of life, and health is most easily tracked through the use of wearable devices. The goal of this study is to detect and monitor human motion via gait analysis to provide information that will help people enhance their health. After reviewing a range of wearable health-tracking devices, the shoe has been chosen as one of the best device for observing human motion. / Most measurement systems currently used for motion and gait detection are disadvantaged in that they monitor and analyze motion in limited environments and not in real time. Hence, they cannot be used for long-term monitoring and detection. The design of a new, inexpensive, compact and lightweight shoe-integrated platform is elaborated in this thesis. The intelligent shoe system comprises a suite of sensors, a microprocessor board and a wireless communication module. This ideal platform requires no specialized equipment or lab setup, meaning data can be collected not only in the narrow confines of a research lab, but essentially anywhere, whether indoors or outdoors. / Our everyday lives are shaped by a wide variety of motions, some of which can cause injury. Injuries suffered due to falls account for a significant portion of accidents and immediate help should be provided. The intelligent shoe system offers an approach of detecting the user’s motion, especially the movement and direction of a fall. This study used principle component analysis (PCA) to decrease the number of sensors in the prototype (eight pairs) by half (four pairs), so as to reduce computational cost and enhance real-time performance. The resultant system can learn the patterns necessary to detect fall directions from abundant tilted-standing data instead of actual fall data. / Fatigue can result in an abnormal gait, making injury more probable. Hence, detecting fatigue is very important. Experiments have been conducted to determine the relationship between fatigue and gait, and the resultant data are used to analyze the relationship between force information and foot attitude. These findings can help a user detect fatigue and avoid injury. / People carry various kinds of loads in their daily lives, and long-term load-bearing activities can result in motion deformation. Another objective of this study is to determine a load-carrying approach that will decrease such deformation to a great extent. Resampling is used to partition the related data cycle by cycle. A support vector machine (SVM) is adopted to model a user’s normal walking gait and abnormal gaits without loads, which allows for the determination of whether a gait is normal when a load is carried. / To enhance overall health, exercise is commonly adopted, but many forms of exercise are dull. The proposed system’s shoe-computer interface not only helps people obtain detailed lower-body feedback, but can also be used to promote everyday exercise. People are analyzed while sitting for long periods in the workplace, and two interfaces are designed as a result: the shoe-keyboard, in which the feet are used to type words into a computer, and the shoe-write system, in which the foot is used like a hand to write on the ground, with the words displayed on the computer screen. Both of these applications use back-propagation (BP) networks to classify the motions involved. The shoe-keyboard is based on logical coding to map the motion-to-word relationship, and the shoe-write system incorporates an optical tracker to translate motion into information. / 人們現在越來越重視自己的生活質量，而健康方面是最為重要的。穿戴式設備是最好容易使用的檢測健康的設備。本文的目標是通過智能鞋，來檢測步態，對其進行分析和預測，已達到檢測和提高人們的健康水平的要求。 / 現在絕大多數的步態運動檢測系統都不是實時的且長時間工作的。在研究中，基於鞋子的智能系統被提出并得以實現，其具有便宜，緊湊，輕便等的優點。該系統包括壓力和加速度傳感器，處理芯片和無線傳輸模塊。這種設計將滿足日常步態信息的採集，并且把環境影響的因素放置最小，以達到室內室外都可長時間連續實時監測的要求。 / 在本論文中，對一系列日常生活的行為進行檢測和分類，尤其是最為危險的摔倒。本系統通過採用主成分分析，對已有的壓力傳感器進行的了分析，在保證了預測的準確性的前提下，將壓力傳感器由8對減少至4對，大大的降低了運算的次數，使得該系統實時性更好。同時本系統通過傾斜站立獲得的數據并應用于跌倒方向的檢測，並且有著良好的結果。 / 在本文中，對疲勞步態進行的分析，通過設計實驗，來區分不同疲勞程度下人們的步態。壓力信號較為明顯，同時加速度反映出每一步的劇烈程度。最終結果表明，壓力和加速度相輔相成，與疲勞程度的關係也很明顯，基於這種關係，本系統對疲勞程度進行了預測，通過壓力傳感器的信號，預測疲勞的程度，實驗結果也較為理想。 / 長時間的負責對身體的負擔很大，在本文中，著重的分析了在不同負重方式下，步態的變化，並且通過對比正常步態，採用支持向量機進行分類。在分類的過程中，通過重新採樣，將採集的數據轉變為一步為一組的數據，進行分類，最終得到的結果表明，平衡狀態下的負重是最好的。 / 對於健康而言，除了檢查受傷和疲勞，提升自身的身體素質也尤為重要。在本文中，介紹了兩種基於智能鞋的應用，在鍛煉下肢靈活度的同時，也避免了鍛煉的無聊。智能鞋鍵盤是通過腳踝的運動，基於一定的編碼方式，已達到在電腦上輸入文字的方式。智能鞋寫字系統是通過對下腳點的定位結合光電傳感器記錄位移，最終獲得文字輸入。應用BP神經網絡，對腳下點進行了分類，結合壓力傳感器和腿部建模，可以準確的區分30個的基本點的位置，從而獲得每筆的起點。最終完成寫字輸入。 / Tao, Yanbo. / Thesis Ph.D. Chinese University of Hong Kong 2014. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 134-141). / Abstracts also in Chinese. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on 12, October, 2016). / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only.

顧客滿意已成為消費市場的主流與趨勢,能夠真正落實顧客滿意經營的企業才能贏得忠誠的顧客,在競爭激烈的市場中佔有一席之地. 員工滿意.顧客滿意,才能造就永續經營的企業. 本研究首先以員工參與經營管理為出發點,實施12個問項長期改善與目前績效衡量問卷調查,並提出促進員工參與.提昇品質.減少直接成本的建議. 為瞭解顧客對大大鞋業產品品質及服務品質的滿意程度,實施內部顧客滿意度問卷調查,以了解企業與顧客對產品品質及服務品質的認知差距,並針對滿意度較的項目提出改善建議.另外並調查顧客選擇至鞋廠商的因素,以供業者參考.