Assessment of posture and motion by multichannel piezoresistive accelerometer recordings

Modern assessment of posture and motion involves the use of wide bandwidth piezoresistive accelerometers. The direct current (DC) component allows for assessment of slow motion and change in position referring to the gravitational axis: the alternating current (AC) component, calibrated in g. represents acceleration along the sensitive axis of the device. A method study was designed to evaluate the division in DC and AC components, reliabilities, discrimination between conditions, and detection of types of physical activities. Recordings were made in 26 student participants for eight conditions: sitting, standing, lying supine, sitting and typing on a PC keyboard, walking, climbing stairs, walking downstairs, and cycling. This procedure was repeated in reversed order. A classification of physical activities according to the eight conditions (first trial) and based on four parameters, that is DC components trunk, thigh, and lower leg and AC component trunk, was correct in almost 100% of patterns, when applied to the second trial.