Human-in-the-loop optimization of rocker shoe to reduce plantar pressure

Rocker shoes have been shown to effectively offload pressure in the forefoot and prevent plantar ulcers in diabetic patients. Finding optimal rocker shoe parameters is challenging due to individual physiological variations and difference in motor control strategies. Previous research by Malki et al have tried to personalize rocker shoe design based on individual foot pathologies and plantar pressure measurement. While being successful, this algorithm still needs improvement, particularly in offloading medial forefoot areas. Our research investigated the capability of Human-in-the-loop optimization approach to personalize rocker shoe design for offloading plantar pressure in the forefoot and have shown better offloading compared to simplified version of Malki’s algorithm