Walking speed measurement technology: A review.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Kinesiology
• Rehabilitation Technology

Background:

• Walking speed (WS) is a crucial gait parameter reflecting an individual's health status.
• Accurate estimation of WS is essential for clinical assessment and monitoring.
• Recent advancements have introduced novel technologies for gait analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of technologies for estimating gait parameters, with a specific focus on walking speed (WS).
• To review and evaluate the technical and clinical aspects of various WS estimation technologies developed in the last five years.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of research published in the last five years on WS estimation technologies.
• Categorization of technologies into wearable and environmental (external) systems.
• Evaluation of the capabilities, technical feasibility, and clinical relevance of each technology.

Main Results:

• New wearable and environmental technologies for WS estimation have emerged in the past five years.
• Wearable technologies utilize body-attached sensors to capture walking kinematics.
• Environmental technologies employ external instrumentation to monitor walking patterns, facing implementation challenges outside controlled settings.
• Current systems lack the capability to track WS changes during daily activities and at-home assessments.

Conclusions:

• Image-based, walkway, wearable, and floor-vibration technologies are prominent for WS estimation.
• Wearable technologies present advantages in real-world applications but require further exploration.
• Development of systems for continuous, at-home WS monitoring is a critical unmet need.