# Research Progress of Self-Powered Gait Monitoring Sensor Based on Triboelectric Nanogenerator
## 4 Conclusions and Prospects  
The advent of the IoT era has accelerated the intelligent and digital development of human body monitoring research. In the field of gait monitoring, the combination of sensing technology with wireless signal technology and machine learning technology has enabled reliable, convenient, and efficient gait monitoring. This paper summarizes the research progress over the past decade in the fields of basic gait information monitoring, abnormal gait detection, and fall monitoring; rehabilitation assessment and auxiliary training; and machine learning-assisted identity recognition based on TENG technology. However, in order to further explore its potential value and expand its application scope, it is necessary to further improve the comprehensive performance of the TENG and address the existing limitations. 1. Barriers to high integration of TENG sensors with health monitoring platforms. The integration of TENG-based gait sensors with health monitoring platforms faces several challenges for real-world applications. For example, the gait characteristics of different individuals vary greatly, and the TENG-based gait monitoring sensors may not be able to accurately capture and recognize the gait characteristics of all individuals when collecting data. If the sensor cannot adaptively adjust to these differences, the data collected may be inaccurate, affecting the subsequent analysis and evaluation on the health monitoring platform. Moreover, environmental factors, such as temperature, humidity, and electromagnetic interference, can degrade sensor performance, introducing data deviations and misinterpreting health status. Additionally, compatibility issues arise between TENGs' signal outputs and existing platforms. Due to their unique signal characteristics, additional circuitry or algorithms are often required for data standardization, increasing system integration complexity. 2. Comfort of the sensor. During the process of gait diagnosis for patients or long-term monitoring, the discomfort experienced by users when wearing the sensor may affect the accuracy of the signals. The discomfort may lead to skin irritation or other physical issues for the users. Therefore, to ensure optimal comfort during prolonged wear, gait monitoring sensors require comprehensive optimization of their size, shape, and material properties, along with improved wearing methods. During design, the sensor dimensions should be precisely determined through ergonomic analysis of foot biomechanics across diverse populations, measuring both force distribution and range of motion during gait. The shape must conform to natural foot contours to minimize movement interference, while material selection should prioritize soft, skin-friendly biocompatible substrates. Furthermore, the wearing system should incorporate user-friendly fixation mechanisms that maintain sensor stability without restricting movement or causing discomfort, thereby enhancing both functionality and wearability. 3. Washability of fabric-based TENGs. Most of the sensors used for gait monitoring are wearable. Their hygienic conditions need to be taken into consideration, especially those sensors placed on the soles of the feet. Bacteria that breed from sweat or other secretions secreted during exercise not only pose a threat to the safety of human skin but also make it unsuitable for long-term wearing. In view of this, researchers should explore textile materials of TENGs with washability and self-cleaning to create hygienic conditions for their contact with human skin. For instance, by implementing functionalized antimicrobial embedding strategies, antimicrobial agents are incorporated into triboelectric polymer matrices. This approach enables the device to exhibit self-cleaning properties, effectively reducing the growth of bacteria and maintaining a hygienic environment. Additionally, through optimizing the structural design in the preparation process, the device's wash resistance can be enhanced.