Connected insoles: PPE that save lives

To reduce musculoskeletal disorders and the emergence of occupational diseases—and also to prevent life-threatening risks for workers—professionals have invented the connected insole. Today, we’ll focus on the DATI/PTI connected insole.

PTI-connected insoles are part of the DATI/PTI system designed to ensure worker safety. Inserted into work shoes, they are easy to use. They do not require any specific handling or training. They are simply worn like any regular insole in the shoes. There is no need to modify the employee’s workstation or working environment.

The DATI/PTI connected insole is equipped with numerous sensors capable of detecting abnormal situations, such as a fall or, more precisely, a "loss of verticality" of the worker wearing them. In such cases, an alert is automatically triggered. It can also be used by the worker to request assistance. A lone worker can manually trigger an alert if they feel endangered. For instance, in the event of a problem or assault, the worker simply has to tap their foot three times to send an alert.

Once the alert is triggered, it is possible to geolocate the insole wearer to optimize the organization of emergency response if needed. The insoles can also send simple messages to the worker. For example, long vibrations may signal that the lone worker must evacuate the site due to an identified danger.

Connected insoles can also help prevent musculoskeletal disorders and thus reduce occupational diseases. They can measure movement and calculate the weight carried by the user—either at a specific moment or accumulated throughout the day—and transmit this data in real time to a mobile application. This allows company managers to determine whether regulatory limits on load carrying are being respected.

Finally, in the near future, these insoles could record all postural constraints of the foot under strain in a work context. This would provide valuable information to podiatrists, enabling them to design orthopedic insoles more precisely. Along the same lines, this data collection could greatly assist physiotherapists, osteopaths, and other healthcare professionals in tailoring treatments by helping them better understand the root causes of a patient’s condition.