Monitoring mobility in older adults using a Global Positioning System (GPS) smartwatch and accelerometer: A...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and Biomedical Engineering
• Wearable Technology and Health Monitoring

Background:

• Aging populations face increasing mobility limitations.
• Early detection of mobility decline is crucial for maintaining independence.
• Multi-sensor approaches combining accelerometry and GPS show promise for assessing late-life mobility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the validity of GPS-enabled smartwatches (TicWatch S2, Pro 3 Ultra GPS) and accelerometers (ActiGraph) for capturing mobility data in older adults.
• To assess the reliability of these devices in measuring movement, navigation, and posture.
• To evaluate a multi-sensor approach for real-life mobility assessment.

Main Methods:

• Two experiments involved 25 older adults (66.2±8.5 years) wearing TicWatch smartwatches and ActiGraph accelerometers.
• Data collection included simultaneous device usage over 3-day periods.
• A Qstarz data logger served as a gold standard for trip-related measures.

Main Results:

• TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra GPS demonstrated performance comparable to the gold standard for trip measures and mode estimation.
• Both TicWatch models showed good agreement with the gold standard for life-space measures.
• ActiGraph accurately classified postures, while TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra GPS showed minimal bias in step count.

Conclusions:

• TicWatch smartwatches are valid devices for collecting GPS and accelerometer data relevant to mobility.
• The multi-sensor approach effectively captures movement, navigation, and life-space data in older adults.
• These validated tools can aid in assessing real-life mobility and detecting early limitations in aging populations.