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Home-Based Monitor for Gait and Activity Analysis
Published on: August 8, 2019
Heel and toe clearance estimation for gait analysis using wireless inertial sensors
Benoit Mariani1, Stephane Rochat, Christophe J Büla
1Laboratory of Movement Analysis and Measurements, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. benoit.mariani@epfl.ch
IEEE Transactions on Bio-Medical Engineering
|September 8, 2012
Summary
A new wireless foot sensor system accurately estimates foot clearance during walking. This technology aids in understanding gait and preventing falls in older adults by providing clinical gait assessment tools.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Gait Analysis
- Wearable Technology
Background:
- Falls are a significant risk for older adults, with tripping being a major cause.
- Foot clearance during the swing phase of gait is a critical factor in understanding the relationship between gait and falls.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a novel method for estimating foot clearance using a wireless, foot-worn inertial sensor system.
- To validate the accuracy of this new system against optical motion capture.
Main Methods:
- Utilized sensor data fusion to compute foot orientation and trajectory.
- Integrated temporal detection of toe-off and heel-strike events.
- Employed a kinematic model to estimate heel and toe trajectories from sensor data.
Main Results:
- The system demonstrated accuracy of ±4.1 cm for maximal heel clearance and ±1.3 cm for minimal toe clearance.
- 2-D and 3-D models were validated on 12 healthy adults across various walking speeds.
- Extracted parameters for local minimum and maximum foot clearance.
Conclusions:
- The lightweight, wireless sensor system provides accurate foot clearance estimation.
- This technology offers a practical tool for routine clinical gait assessment outside laboratory settings.
- It can contribute to better understanding gait and fall prevention strategies in older adults.
