Smart assistive technologies such as sensor-based footwear and walking aids offer promising opportunities for gait rehabilitation through real-time feedback and patient-centered monitoring. While biofeedback applications show great potential, current research rarely explores integrated closed-loop systems with device- and modality-specific feedback. In this work, we present a modular sensor-based system combining a smart foot orthosis and an instrumented forearm crutch to deliver real-time vibrotactile biofeedback. The system integrates plantar pressure and motion sensing, vibrotactile feedback, and wireless communication via a smartphone application. We conducted a user study with eight participants to validate the system's feasibility for mobile gait detection and app usability, and to evaluate different vibrotactile feedback types across the orthosis and forearm crutch. The results indicate that pattern-based vibrotactile feedback was rated as more useful and suitable for regular use than simple vibration alerts. Moreover, participants reported clear perceptual differences between feedback delivered via the orthosis and the forearm crutch, indicating device-dependent feedback perception. The findings highlight the relevance of feedback strategy design beyond hardware implementation and inform the development of user-centered haptic biofeedback systems.

翻译：基于传感器的智能鞋具和助行器等智能辅助技术，通过实时反馈和以患者为中心的监测，为步态康复提供了广阔前景。尽管生物反馈应用展现出巨大潜力，但当前研究很少探索集成闭环系统与设备及模态特异性反馈。本研究提出了一种模块化传感器系统，结合智能足部矫形器和仪器化前臂拐杖，以提供实时振动触觉生物反馈。该系统集成了足底压力与运动传感、振动触觉反馈以及通过智能手机应用程序实现的无线通信。我们开展了包含八名参与者的用户研究，以验证系统在移动步态检测与应用可用性方面的可行性，并评估矫形器和前臂拐杖上不同类型的振动触觉反馈。结果表明，基于模式的振动触觉反馈相较于简单振动警报，被评价为更有用且更适合日常使用。此外，参与者报告了通过矫形器和前臂拐杖传递的反馈之间存在明显的感知差异，表明反馈感知具有设备依赖性。这些发现强调了反馈策略设计超越硬件实施的重要性，并为开发以用户为中心的触觉生物反馈系统提供了参考。