Force Plates and Related Technologies

Newton’s three laws of motion are the foundations for classical mechanics; these laws provide evidence of the value of measuring the forces applied to the human body. The transducers available for measuring forces are reviewed, along with their key properties and methods for suitable calibration. In contemporary biomechanics, a common piece of apparatus for the measurement of ground reaction forces is the force plate. The mechanics of a force plate are examined, and the procedures for analyzing the signals arising from these plates are presented. A related topic is also reviewed: the measurement of pressures.