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Walking speed and dual task input modality impact performance on a self-paced treadmill
Aditi Gupta1, Damian G Kelty-Stephen2, Madhur Mangalam3
1Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Applied Ergonomics
|February 8, 2023
Summary
Investigating walking while performing tasks reveals speed-dependent gait changes. Participants did not slow down universally when dual-tasking, impacting wearable technology design for mobility.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Ambulatory dual-tasking examines attention division during walking and other tasks.
- The influence of walking speed and dual-task modality on gait and performance remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of visual and tactile-visual dual-tasks on gait performance.
- To understand how dual-tasking affects gait characteristics at various speeds.
Main Methods:
- Fifteen participants walked on a self-paced treadmill at four target speeds (0.5–1.5 m/s).
- Gait was analyzed with and without a dual-task (visual or tactile-visual response time task).
- Key gait parameters included time in target speed zone, speed ratio, stride length, and stride time.
Main Results:
- Slower speeds showed greater speed variability and reduced time in the target zone during dual-tasking.
- Stride length and stride time were more influenced by walking speed than by the dual-task condition.
- Participants did not consistently reduce walking speed when engaged in a dual task.
Conclusions:
- Gait characteristics exhibit speed-dependent alterations under dual-task conditions.
- Walking speed control is robust to dual-task interference, especially when speed is a tracked parameter.
- Findings inform the design of wearable technologies for navigation and mobility support.
