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Digital force plate technology: Revolutionizing biomechanical measurements

Force plates with digital technology enable biomechanical measurements during sprinting.

Digital technology is changing the world. Here at Kistler, we are spearheading the digital transformation of sport, research and science by integrating the power of digital technology into our entire range of force plates and biomechanics solutions. The revolution has already begun with the new generation of our world-renowned force plates with highly precise sensor technology – digitalization plus Kistler’s 60 years of successful experience add up to the gold standard in dynamic measurement.

Advantages of our digital force plate technology:

With digital technology an unlimited number of force plates can be connected over long distances with minimal cabling effort.

Unbeatable precision and signal quality:

  • Highest measurement resolution in the biomechanics sector (24 bits data acquisition per channel)
  • Outstanding signal quality and low noise
  • PTP (Precision Time Protocol) synchronization within microseconds
  • High sample rates selectable

Highly versatile:

  • Wide application range with only two measurement ranges (high and low)
  • Unlimited number of force plates can be synchronized 
  • Up to 16 digital force plates in one chain (daisy-chaining concept – multiple chains can be interlinked)
  • No loss of signal quality over distances up to 100 m
Digital force plate technology does not require a DAQ box but provides a direct digital signal output.

Easy, fast setup of the digital force plates: 

  • Plug-and-play saves time and effort 
  • No separate data acquisition device required
  • Cabling is reduced to the absolute minimum
  • SDK interface (DataServer) for versatile integration into 3rd party systems

Sensor technology and digital electronics from Kistler – a brilliant combination!

A sprinter runs on a sprint track under which digital force plates are installed.
Force plate technology with highest data quality

Even for highly complex biomechanical measurement processes, all dynamic motion sequences should be accurately captured. In sprinting, this means that every foot contact on the ground and lifting it, as well as rapidly rising and abruptly changing forces, must be precisely measured. This is exactly where the piezoelectric sensors built into our force plates come into their own compared to strain gauges. Thanks to their high natural frequency in all 3 force directions as well as the high damping characteristics, piezoelectric force plates provide excellent dynamic impulse responses and highly accurate capturing of dynamic motion sequences.  

3D force plate from Kistler: for dynamic applications in biomechanics with digital output.
No loss of information during data acquisition thanks to digital electronics:

Thanks to the high sampling rate of the digital force plate technology from Kistler, sprints and other dynamic movement sequences are recorded with all their details in their complex entirety. In conjunction with the high resolution and minimal noise, even the smallest differences can be detected.