Some of the most common injuries athletes sustain are caused by overuse. Injuries like stress fractures or shin splints can knock a pro athlete out of competition for months. But now there might be a way to avoid such injuries.

A group of researchers from China have created the flexible iontronic pressure sensor. It uses a woven fabric that shifts its contact area when pressure is applied and an ionic gel — basically a gel full of mobile charged particles — that shifts its internal ion traffic under pressure.

A pressure sensor placed inside a smart shoe sole can measure the force at which the foot hits the ground and subsequently the level of stress on the shinbone.

Most pressure sensors become unreliable at different force levels, but the team’s showed only 1.8 percent error during walking and running, the highest accuracy ever reported for a sensor of its type. Notably, it was reliable on different terrains.

This skin-inspired technology could be a big step forward in medical-grade smart wearables.

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