Using Inertial Sensors to Determine Head Motion-A Review

Area of Science:

• Engineering
• Computer Science
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Human activity recognition is advancing with wearable devices like smartphones and smartwatches.
• Head motion monitoring is crucial for applications in medicine, entertainment, health, sports, metaverse, virtual reality, and touchless systems.
• Head motion systems using wearable inertial sensors offer superior wearability and usability compared to other body-worn sensors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of head motion monitoring systems based on inertial sensors from the last decade.
• To analyze acquisition methods, prototype structures, preprocessing, computational techniques, and validation strategies.
• To identify the first work specifically examining head motion systems utilizing inertial sensors and their associated techniques.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review conducted across four major databases: IEEE Xplore, Elsevier, MDPI, and Springer.
• Focus on technical literature from the past 10 years.
• Analysis of studies concerning general human activity recognition and specific head motion analysis.

Main Results:

• Most reviewed studies focused on general human activity rather than specific head motion.
• A thorough overview of approaches and machine learning algorithms for head motion monitoring using inertial sensors over the last decade is presented.
• Advantages and disadvantages of inertial sensors for head motion detection are detailed with comprehensive references.

Conclusions:

• This survey is the first to specifically address head motion monitoring systems based on inertial sensors and their techniques.
• The findings contextualize emerging inertial sensor technology for broader applications, including aiding individuals with paralysis.
• The study provides a valuable resource for understanding the current state and future directions of head motion monitoring technology.