Head Trajectory Diagrams for Gait Symmetry Analysis Using a Single Head-Worn IMU

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Wearable Technology
• Rehabilitation Engineering

Background:

• Gait symmetry analysis is crucial for diagnosing and rehabilitating pathological gait.
• Current wearable devices offer limited gait parameters and may not reflect real-life conditions.
• Head movements during walking provide valuable data for gait analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce novel visualization methods for gait symmetry analysis using head-worn sensors.
• To enable accurate gait analysis in both clinical and daily life settings.
• To develop simple, easy-to-use devices for gait assessment.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an inertial measurement unit (IMU) based motion capture system.
• Collected gait data from twelve participants walking on a 400-m track.
• Developed visualization techniques analyzing head trajectories on transverse and frontal planes.

Main Results:

• Proposed methods generated three types of diagrams and measured five gait symmetry parameters.
• Achieved high reliability in step counting with a Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) below 0.65%.
• Enabled accurate left-right step recognition with MAPE ≤ 2.13%.

Conclusions:

• Head-worn sensors provide a reliable and accessible solution for gait symmetry analysis.
• The developed methods support the maintenance and relearning of balanced gait.
• This technology facilitates gait assessment in diverse environments using simple devices.