Sensor to detect foot steps on floor

How about a combination or hybridization approach.

Clemm

This could work with some filtering, e.g. low-pass:

Impact, Vibration and Ultrasound Sensing with PVDF Piezo Sensors

Thanks, will definitely read throug it.

First I have to select at least one sensor capable of recognizing steps at all. To improve results a hybrid aproach could work.

An accelerometer of the right type can easily do what you want.

The problem is that you will probably need to make your own since the typical low cost MEMS parts may be too noisy.

Find the Analog Devices chip accelerometer with the lowest noise and give it a try.

MK

Thanks! That is one of my problems: I have no Idea of how strong the "signal" and the noise is. From the papers the frequency is around 5 to 100 Hz. Which rules out some of the sensors with integrated logic because the include filters. Found no information on the amplitude of the signal...

Found one paper citing a value of 3 x 10^-6 m/s for the signal and 8 x 10^-6 m/s for the noise in urban areas.  But this is for the vibration not for acceleration. (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/252566889)

I would start with a throw rug with embedded capacitive sensing.

That way out can get measurements on shoe size, gait, stride and other data for isolating the correct person.

DAB

Piezo disks are very low cost and probably sensitive enough, depending on the floor and the shoe.

I just tried my desktop sensor and it easily detects me walking on a hard wood floor in my socks from 12 feet away. Just normal soft walking - not stamping along. It was designed to detect small vibrations on my desk, like dropping a business card, and it locks out subsequent triggers for a couple of seconds so it doesn't continuously stay triggered. Because of this lockout feature it is not going to trigger on every footstep, but it is sufficient to prove feasibility.

You can see it in action on my desk in this blog:

Tis The Season For Arduino

Data from sensors like this would be mostly useful to detect event timing, as in when a foot contacts the ground - the waveforms would be hard to analyze if you want to extract more information than this from the signal. Even extracting useful amplitude data would be problematic ..... Possible, but requiring some careful thought about the signal and signal processing.

Have you checked out Piezo Film?  DT Series with Lead Attachments—Piezo Sensors—Film Elements—Measurement Specialties