Comparison of IMU set-ups for the estimation of gait spatio-temporal parameters in an elderly population

Abstract

The increasing average age emphasizes the importance of gait analysis in elderly populations. Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) represent a suitable wearable technology for the characterization of gait by estimating spatio-temporal parameters (STPs). However, the location of inertial sensors on the human body and the associated algorithms for the estimation of gait STPs play a fundamental role and are still open challenges. Accordingly, the aim of this work was to compare three IMUs set-ups (trunk, shanks, and ankles) and correspondent algorithms to a gold standard optoelectronic system for the estimation of gait STPs in a healthy elderly population. In total, 14 healthy elderly subjects walked barefoot at three different speeds. Gait parameters were assessed for each IMUs set-up and compared to those estimated with the gold standard. A statistical analysis based on Pearson correlation, Root Mean Square Error and Bland Altman plots was conducted to evaluate the accuracy of IMUs. Even though all tested set-ups produced accurate results, the IMU on the trunk performed better in terms of correlation ( R ≥ 0.8), RMSE (0.01–0.06 s for temporal parameters, 0.03–0.04 for the limp index), and level of agreement (−0.01 s ≤ mean error ≤ 0.01 s, −0.02 s ≤ standard deviation error ≤ 0.02 s), also allowing simpler preparation of subjects and minor encumbrance during gait. From the promising results, a similar experiment might be conducted in pathological populations in the attempt to verify the accuracy of IMUs set-ups and algorithms also in non-physiological patterns.

Improving the reliability of underwater gait analysis using wearable pressure and inertial sensors

“…The proposed PIMU sensors were validated by comparing their performance with an optoelectronic system in a motion analysis laboratory. The temporal gait parameters measured by the PIMU sensors had a low RMSE (up to 5% of the gait cycle for stance time) and a high Spearman coefficient (above 0.8), which are consistent with similar studies [ 36 ]. The Bland-Altman bias was also small, especially for stride time [ 37 ].…”

Comparison of Gait Smoothness Metrics in Healthy Elderly and Young People

“…Regarding the elderly population, gait data collected in a previous study were used. Sixteen healthy elderly subjects (68.3 ± 4.4 years, range 65-79 years) were recruited [26]. Parallel to the previous study, using the same protocol and test conditions, data were also collected from a young population, consisting of 16 subjects (22.6 ± 1.1 years, range 20-24 years).…”