Using a shoe mounted tri-axial accelerometer to detect kinematic changes during stiff ankle walking

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Gait Analysis
• Wearable Sensors

Background:

• Ubiquitous gait analysis is a growing field, primarily focusing on spatio-temporal parameters.
• Current research often relies on complex kinematic equipment.
• Developing simpler, accessible gait analysis methods is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an algorithm for gait metric determination using shoe-mounted accelerometers.
• To compare accelerometer-derived gait metrics with concurrent kinematic data.
• To differentiate kinematic changes related to walking speed versus actual alterations in gait mechanics.

Main Methods:

• Algorithm development for processing accelerometer data from a shoe-mounted sensor.
• Concurrent collection of kinematic data for comparison.
• Testing subjects at various walking speeds and with an induced stiff ankle condition.

Main Results:

• Accelerometer data, combined with walking speed information, can estimate ankle plantar flexion angular velocity.
• The algorithm shows potential in distinguishing speed-related gait variations from true kinematic changes.
• Preliminary findings indicate feasibility of using foot-mounted accelerometers for specific gait parameter estimation.

Conclusions:

• Shoe-mounted accelerometers offer a viable method for estimating key gait parameters like ankle plantar flexion angular velocity.
• This approach can contribute to more accessible and ubiquitous gait analysis.
• Further research is warranted to refine the algorithm and expand its applications.